Bound By Legend
by Ysavvryl
Summary: There is a part of mythology know as the Legends of Zelda. Storytellers have long debated if this one counts as the important pieces are there, but the traditional moves aren't made. This is a tale of how the villain, the princess, and even the hero tried to fight the power of legend itself.
1. The Hero, The Princess, and The Villain

**Chapter 1: The Hero, the Princess, the Villain**

There are many stories in our land of Hyrule, ancient legends and mysterious folklore. But this is a recent tale, of a valiant war ten years ago started by a troublesome thief. The thief had come from the nearby land of Sudai, just beyond Death Mountain. It is a wicked land, producing all kinds of bandits and deviants. While they declared that they intended to be good allies, their people would often steal from traders and travelers. Their knights would do nothing to stop this.

And one of these thieves made a theft so daring that everyone in Hyrule was angry, so dangerous that many in the lands all around us were afraid. The Sudain thief, using forbidden techniques of shadow magic, crept into the royal treasury itself and took the Septdraco, an artifact used to seal dragons out of the world. The thief then brought the Septdraco to the Sudain king in order to give them a way to devastate the land of Hyrule.

Furious at the threat, the Hylian king rallied up people in all the lands encompassing Hyrule and led them in an attack on Sudai. He continually said that he would stop the war if Sudai gave up the Septdraco, which their king refused to do. Sudai even threatened to call out the dragons that were sealed inside to ruin the Hylian army. However, the wicked king lacked the appropriate ritual to summon the dragons. The Hylian armies swept through his lands, conquering the castle and reclaiming the Septdraco. The Sudain king was then killed, leaving his young son to take the throne after him. The boy wisely agreed to give dominion of Sudai to the Hyrule, ending the war.

With the might of Hyrule proven, peace reigned in the world once more.

* * *

"Does the castle really have a treasure that can summon dragons?" a young boy asked.

Link brushed aside his honey blond hair, seeing clouds drifting lazily by. A few flowers and grasses waved at the edge of his vision, giving a familiar scent of the forest. Nearby, he could hear one of the teachers telling stories to a group of children. Her voice was nice, enough that he could almost fall asleep by listening. But the story was over and they would be discussing it. A pity, he could use a nap.

"If they do, it will be under greater security," the teacher said. "It is said that even if you perform the summoning properly, it is unlikely that you can control the dragons. It should be guarded and unused."

One thing the story failed to mention was that the war back then was why many of the children and teenagers were here in Taven Village. The village adults had been conscripted into the army during the Sudain war, men and women alike. A few had been left behind to watch the children; Link himself was one of those kids. In spite of what the story said, the war had not been a clean sweep (nor valiant, but he kept that opinion to himself). Nearly all that had gone off to war from Taven did not return, including his parents. Those remaining gathered the children in an orphanage, even taking in those from other towns in order to get help from the castle. And since that was hardly the last war that had gone on, more war orphans had gathered under the care of St Saria's Orphanage.

"Can we hear more about the Picori story now?" one of the girls asked.

"Of course, since you've listened well to the history lesson," the teacher said. She summarized the story as it had been told over the last week, then continued on in the story of a child hero who could become tiny in his search for a holy blade.

It was a fun story for the kids. Link closed his eyes and relaxed. In the past year, monsters had gotten stronger and aggressive. They were especially dangerous at night, even getting into town. The villagers were normally safe as long as they stayed indoors. Still, the monsters would ruin crops and try to damage the buildings. Link and a few others had been staying up to fight the monsters that invaded the village. Day was safe; hopefully it would stay that way while they tried to make the night less restless.

He dreamed, of a mine where the very ground had turned dangerous. Lava bubbling and filling the caves with steam, dividing the pathways into separate islands. To get to his goals, he had to drift along updrafts, trying to reach the safe heights without dropping into bright red lava. It wasn't that bad, in all honesty. But the hat kept making comments about the heat and being used to drift around. At this point, the hat itself was getting tiring to deal with. But he needed the hat, for what it knew and what it could do for him. Ezlo…

"Link!" One of the older kids poked his shoulder with a foot. "We're going back home, come on sleepyhead."

He could have used more rest, but he nodded and opened his eyes. The headmistress of the orphanage believed in fresh air and exercise, leading to this daily excursion along the forest trails to a spring with a small pool. While this was safer during the day, someone able to take care of monsters needed to accompany the children whenever they left town. He got up from his resting spot and glanced around to make sure they had all the kids who'd come out for the lesson today.

"All right, line up," the teacher called, getting the kids to group in pairs to walk back. That made it easier to see that yes, they did have all of them. "Link, are you ready?"

He nodded and went to the back of the line while the teacher took the front. She could cast some magic, like using a shield or a small fireball if monsters jumped them from there. But only a few of the kids here were old enough to be learning magic. There usually wasn't any trouble, but Link knew from experience how quickly a group like this could be in grave danger. While he hadn't lost any kids under his watch, he'd seen quite a few injuries. But the people of Taven often made their living through the forest. It was important to teach the kids to be brave.

On their way back to town, one of the girls in the last pair kept glancing back at him. She was a new one to the orphanage, having come in from another region of Hyrule. "Um, Mister Link?" she finally asked shyly. He glanced down at her, making her blush. "Are you going to be a great hero too? Cause you're named just the same as a lot of great heroes."

Link shrugged. Besides, it wasn't the name he'd been given when he'd been born. Maybe it was a sign that he'd been renamed that. He didn't really think so, as he knew the actual reason he'd been given a new name. Due to a childhood speech defect, he'd found his original name unpronounceable. Link was a nice simple name in contrast.

"I think he could be because he's brave and really good with a sword," the girl walking with the newcomer said. "But a real hero becomes one because it's the right thing to do when things get bad. So you can't know if somebody, even yourself, is a great hero until things get bad."

"I wouldn't want things to go worse," the new girl said.

Neither did he. Today was going well, they didn't even hear a monster on the walk back. Still, he had to wonder about the brief dream from his nap. Was it merely because of the Picori story? It might be, but he'd had other dreams of other heroes named Link quite often in the past year. Maybe something was about to happen and a hero would be needed?

But like the girl had said, a hero wasn't needed until things went bad. It'd be better if a hero wasn't needed at all.

* * *

And then, it came. The page at the door announced, "From the province of Sudai, King Ganon Garula."

Zelda felt a chill in her skin hearing that name. It didn't help that the man was intimidating in stature, like he could knock aside any of the armored knights here with his bare hands. According to some gossiping handmaidens, he was considered handsome, for his strength but also for his exotic looks of dark brown skin and long sunset red hair. It was rumored he had some blood from the nearly forgotten Garudo people. None of this was exaggeration, she thought, watching him approach and kneel before them.

However, that name caused her a great deal of worry. There were a great many villains within legends and history that went by that name of Ganon or Ganondorf. What kind of person would be bearing that name with the legacy it held? Had he chosen it or was it his parent's folly? But there was another possibility. There was the chance that destiny had given him that name.

A princess of Hyrule was always named Zelda. Her mother was named Zelda, as was her grandmother and great-grandmother and many more before. However, there was a difference between being a princess named Zelda and being the Princess Zelda. The princesses were often given secondary names that they could go by to distinguish themselves. But she had not been given a secondary name. There was a ruler of a neighboring people bearing the name of legends, here before her today. According to the castle records, there was also a young man living in the southern forest province that had the name Link.

Had someone invoked the legends for this to happen?

Her father, King Albertos Ordonne, addressed Ganon with a chilly sternness. "You have done well to finish your country's reparation payments for the war. But it would not be prudent of your land to reclaim your independence at this time. We are keeping you safe from the bandits that fled your land to the west; they would surely descend upon you again and cause anarchy should you leave the kingdom of Hyrule."

"I will keep your advisement in mind, as always," Ganon said calmly, respectfully. "But our land still holds scars from that war, ones we've been unable to fix alone. Since the reparations are complete, would you please assist us with rebuilding our towns?"

"You should be fully capable of doing so yourself," Albertos said. "Indeed, it's a worrying sign that you have not managed to address such issues in all these years."

Even if there was destiny behind their names, Zelda couldn't keep herself quiet on that. "If they haven't, they may very well be having great difficulty instead. Couldn't we lend them some workers for assistance?"

"No, we won't be doing that," he said.

Zelda did not like that. But, it was an official meeting and she wasn't about to be too disruptive. She did give her father a piece of her mind when the meeting was over, once they were back in the private halls of the castle. "He has been asking for such assistance politely for years and the traders say that Sudai really is struggling to put itself back together after our forces crushed them in that war. There's sure to be a lot of anger and resentment towards us in the Sudain people. Why would we not assist them in rebuilding their towns and stabilizing their lives? They would have a better opinion of us if we had done so from the start."

"You cannot run a country on charity," Albertos said firmly. "And they were the ones who started the war. They must pay the price for their corrupt ambitions."

"It doesn't have to be charity, it's more of common sense," she said. "Fear and obedience don't mean respect; a ruler can earn respect by showing some mercy and kindness alongside authority and strength."

He shook his head. "We can't go about fulfilling everyone's little wishes, Zelda, especially when they haven't earn them. Being kind, as you put it, would lead the people to depend on us too much, make them unable to stand on their own. Say if you were to give a poor family a meal every day. They'd come to expect it and not bother trying to work their way out of poverty. It would be better to train knights to protect the streets and keep people from breaking the law."

"But they might be starved and commit crimes out of desperation," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And we're not talking about that, we're talking about fixing damage we caused in an invasion."

"It was a proper and noble counter to a vile greedy move," he said, some anger coming into his words.

Zelda's mother (who always went by her secondary name of Abigail) took her arm and looked at her. "Now now, dear, don't be argumentative. It's not attractive in a young woman."

Not caring about that, she frowned. "I don't care about being attractive. I care about doing what's right. Besides, haven't you realized there's a lot of dangerous signs going around? Even the name of the Sudain king is like that of the old legends; I have a feeling that things will get very bad very soon. The fact that you've been treating the Sudain people with such injustice is going to cause a disaster."

Albertos looked her in the eyes, a quiet fury there. "If it does, the injustice will be their fault. I have been nothing but just, giving people what they deserve. Not only that, but I have always worked towards making Hyrule great. It has been a long process with many difficulties. In spite of that, we are already greater than we have been in centuries. Would you throw away Hyrule's glory for the sake of naive ideals?"

"Do you really think our greatness is in conquest and bloodshed?" Zelda said, trying hard not to be in tears. "The spirits of legend are stirring, already with many pieces on the board. Everyone in Hyrule could suffer as a result and if we have lost touch with Hyrule's true glory, we may very well be struck down."

"That's nothing to worry about," he said, deciding to head on down the hall. "If the spirits of legend are indeed stirring, they always work towards our kingdom's greatness. It may be a dark night ahead, but a bright dawn of a golden era will be waiting further on."

"But it might not be waiting for us," Zelda said sadly, looking down at her hands. There was nothing there now, but she had seen that glimmer of gold. "Even if it is, so many more will suffer."

Abigail patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, dear. Have you been reading dismal tragedies or stuffy political tracts again? Go read something more lighthearted, that's sure to cheer you up. I can't stand the serious stuff myself."

"It's not that," she said, holding back a sigh.

Her mother finally let go. "Besides, if the legends do happen again, you're sure to end up with a brave strong hero at your side. Wouldn't that be magnificent? A happily ever after like that would be worth some dark times."

"Oh mother, that's not important," Zelda said, although she smiled a little at the thought. The thing was, she'd never met the young man who held the name of legend now. Ending up with him would mean losing someone very dear to her now.

* * *

You could call it the Legend of Zelda because it was one of the foundations that kept the Hylian royal family in power. A story told time and time again, a cyclical play where objects, places, people, even ideas could change, but there was always that core centered around the princess. She who was chosen by the Triforce of Wisdom as its bearer, in trouble because of her purity and influence. If not, then she held enough qualities to fulfill the role of Wisdom anyhow. The same went for the other two, the hero Link who was chosen by the Triforce of Courage (but often ended up as one who could claim the whole of that golden treasure) and the villain Ganon who was chosen by the Triforce of Power (seeming like an insurmountable force of terror, but he was always struck down in the end).

With such powerful legends connected to the names, some hopeful parents would name their children such to gain the favor of the goddesses. Or not, in the case of the villain. But the name alone did not make one chosen. When one was chosen, they were given the name. All the princesses of the royal family had Zelda in their name, but any one of them would simply be a Zelda until the story begun again and she became the Zelda. The villain might rise under another name, but become the Ganon in time.

There was no choice in that. Hiding among tall bookshelves of the Hyrule Castle library, the young king shifted his hand in a shaft of light that fell through. Against the dark brown skin, a golden glimmer could be seen. He'd been chosen by the Triforce of Power a full year ago, which meant that a story was preparing to begin. Before long, no one would recognize his old name, not even himself. They'd call him Ganon as if he'd been named that his whole life, completely missing the implications of the legends.

Slamming the records book shut, he sighed. He didn't like the Hylian royal family, that much was true. They acted like their kingdom was the only worthy land in the whole world. When they had won that bloody and violent war (they always won wars, either that or wars they lost were never recordeed in history books), the Hylian king had his parents executed, but spared him out of what he called mercy. What he'd really wanted was for him to remain firmly under the control of Hyrule, paying them compensation and taxes that made it hard to rebuild. Some places were still in ruins.

Even so, this? It gave him power, true. He was a great deal stronger than he had once been. If he wanted, he could take back his kingdom from the Hylians. But although they called this a sacred power, something he could only call evil had crept into his life the moment the triangle appeared. He found himself with a desire to not only take back his kingdom, but to take over Hyrule as well and utterly humiliate the Hylians. He felt a delicious thrill when he fought or even watched others fight. Especially to the death, that would let him really feel this power with ecstasy.

The young king gripped his hand tight, pushing his fingernails into his palm. No, he had to stop thinking like that. He didn't want that to overtake him. He didn't want to be cast as the villain in some play that seemed created by the Hylian goddesses. But if his studies were right, it was going to happen anyhow. They gave him plenty of temptation by pushing him to stop being a good vassal, take back his proper inheritance, and restore his people's prosperity. But when he made his moves to do that, the legend would overtake him and he would be Ganon, out to destroy Hyrule's peace, kidnap their princess, and set off the journey of the hero. His people and his kingdom would collapse, soon to be just a small reference in the pages of history for giving rise to him.

But did the story have to end like that? The villain died at the end, but perhaps there was some way to make sure he didn't take out his kingdom as well. It might take acting as a villain towards them too, to lure both the princess and the hero into sympathizing with them. Although he loved his people and didn't want them to be hurt, if that's what it took to save them from the legend that was beginning…

It was an easy decision to make, a tough plan to map out. While the dark spirit want him to simply act, Ganon had mentally argued it into letting him study. Knowledge was a form of power, after all. He'd studied all he could in his own country's resources, then sent requests to borrow references from other provinces of the kingdom. And with this yearly visit (which failed to change anything, as he thought), he was able to find some more within their library. He couldn't find the books he really wanted to study, since they were in a restricted area and a visitor like himself (especially himself) was not allowed to go there.

He'd already filled in some holes, including finding out about the hero of this cycle. In the war that ruined Sudai, another place had been ruined due to all the bloodshed. The Taven province to the south held an orphanage founded in the aftermath of war and one of the children from the start was named Link. Currently, the nineteen-year-old was part of the orphanage staff, looking after the children and protecting the area from monsters. He had applied to get recognition as a mercenary who focused on guarding travelers on the road, just three months ago. And two months ago, he had declined an offer to join the Hylian army instead. He'd never gotten the approval as a wandering mercenary.

Opening the records book back up, he found copies of the paperwork that had gone back and forth about this young man's work. While he was said to be a reserved and quiet person, he was brave, hard-working, and observant. He already escorted people through the forest at times, finding those who were lost and keeping them safe. The reason he gave for declining the army was that he wanted to give a part of his earnings back to the orphanage, something they didn't allow for. While Ganon only had circumstantial evidence, it seemed the castle wanted soldiers to fight its wars rather than mercenaries who chose their own work. When Link got pushed into being the hero, though, he'd be fighting for Hyrule anyhow. Maybe they knew that.

Finding out about the princess was even easier. The sole child of the king and queen (as always, Ganon had noted that from a lineage chart here in the library), she had already taken on some work from her parents in ruling the kingdom. And not just ceremonial duties: this Zelda could manage the treasury, keep records organized, lead civil engineering projects like the repairs and additions to the roads between provinces, and give sound reviews on legal disputes. She could be an intelligent and fine queen someday.

And according to rumors that were backed up by other pieces in these official records, she had an equally talented suitor whose main obstacle to marrying her was her parents' stubbornness. Ganon flipped back to an advisement about farming communities from one Joachim Reynard. Joachim was a merchant's son who took after his father at a young age. By the rumors, the pair had met because of a shared tutor and became sweethearts quickly. Zelda had gotten her beau hired on for work within the castle where many admired his work ethics and potential. While the king had humored her for that, it seemed he didn't fully approve of their courtship. The princess was nearly twenty-one, and it seemed others were hopeful that she'd marry Joachim once she came of age.

Ganon was twenty-one himself; he remembered the time he'd visited when he'd been sixteen. At that meeting, in front of the knights and other witnesses (but not the princess that day), Albertos warned him not to try courting his daughter because he would refuse the match outright. Ganon had responded that it had not been his intention to court Zelda. Albertos acted offended at that and claimed he wouldn't acknowledge that year's reparations unless he apologized. Whatever happened, Albertos was going to suffer for that humiliation, and much more besides. Not long from now, the Hylian king would grovel at his feet before he died.

Be careful thinking on that, he warned himself.

Soft footsteps on the wooden floor caught Ganon's attention. He set the book of records back just before Zelda stopped to find him there. While she was the princess of Hyrule and thus a possible route to take over the kingdom, he truly had no interest in trying to court her. She was like a delicate porcelain doll, her skin fair from being sheltered and soft from never doing hard work. Her hair was snow white and braided elegantly. In his mind, the look like she might wilt under the sun or break if made to do something physical was not that attractive.

Unlike a doll, her gray eyes did show a strong spirit. She was wary of him, but not afraid. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking up a few things," he told her. "I don't like acting blind; I'm sure you can understand that. What are you doing here?"

"I am studying as well." She had a voice that matched her looks, soft and pristine. But given how she had been at the meeting, maybe she could lose the softness if pushed.

At this point in time, Ganon didn't want to antagonize her. "Since we have met, I would like to thank you for trying to get my request accepted. It has always been denied, so it is good to know that there may be some give. My people have been working so hard simply to survive that we cannot put good effort into rebuilding."

Zelda gave a nod of acknowledgment. "I can't promise anything now, but I will try to convince father to ease up. After all, you fall under the banner of Hyrule now and I do not like seeing any of us suffer needlessly."

That was good. With that attitude, he might be able to plant a seed of doubt in her even if she was wary of him. "You may wish to pray to your goddesses that things do not occur to make people suffer," he said, adding some regret and concern to his tone.

"Why is that?" Zelda asked, taking a step closer to be within the bookshelves, then catching herself and staying there where she could step out again quickly.

"I know your legends," Ganon said, putting a hand to his chin and closing his eyes. "I have seen some signs that cause me concern, heard," put a pause there, "some things. I have a responsibility to my people; I don't want them to suffer more. If it were as simple as that, it wouldn't be a concern. But I don't think the goddesses will listen to me. It seems the stage is already set, just waiting on the players to give in."

"What is it that is bothering you?" she asked. She seemed greatly worried about his words. When he opened his eyes and glanced at her, she had a hand to her chest and now seemed a little afraid.

Taking a harder tone of voice, one that should sound like a completely different person, he said, "I apologize, I shouldn't have spoken to bother you like that." Then he turned back to his softer tone. "But if you could pray to the goddesses that this is not needed..." and back again. "Well, do what you like. Excuse me, there's something else I'm hoping to find out."

"Oh, of course," she said, stepping out from the shelves and out of his way. As he passed by, she added, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

He nodded, but didn't reply. If she could reach the goddesses and somehow convince them not to let this play go on, then that would be ideal. However, he doubted that would happen. The stage was indeed set, the pieces in place or almost so. All that was needed for this iteration of the legend to begin was for one of the three of them to make a move.

Ganon had plans in motion already. Zelda might have some herself, but it was to be seen if those plans were for preventing the legend from starting or preparations for when it would begin. As for Link, the heroes usually didn't have plans. Their role in the beginning was always reactive, responding to a call for help, a request, or even just an errand. But if Ganon was to make his plans work, he needed the hero's first moves to go in a particular way.

Thus, the opening move of this legend was for him to go to the forests around Taven and get the hero started.

* * *

Zelda often went into the royal chapel at times it was quiet, when nothing else was going on there. Light seemed to come alive in this space, giving a powerful feeling of sacredness here. By day, color filled the air as the sun streamed through the grand stained glass windows all around. They depicted the goddesses Farore, Nayru, and Din as well as the glory of all they created: scenes of the fields, rivers, and mountains of Hyrule as well as some of the treasures they had blessed.

As it was night now, the warm glow of many candles filled the air instead. The scent of incense lingered around the altar's triptych where Zelda was kneeling. She came here not just to pray, but also to think. In this place, it felt like she could reach the spirits of her predecessors. Sometimes it made it easier for her to make decisions. But tonight, it felt like someone was reassuring her as the light of blessing faded from the land. Like someone wanted her to accept that the legend would reoccur soon and things would be bad, but if she had faith, it would turn out for the best. There was a promise of dawn at the end of a long night, perhaps even the dawn of a new golden age.

Zelda lowered her head and sighed. This was not going to turn out well. Maybe, if this went as the legends always did, maybe there would indeed be peace and happiness at the end of it all. But at what cost? And what could she really do during the long dark night? It felt like her parents had gone to great lengths to make her a gentle princess with very little power. She'd had to sneak in lessons about magic and governance as a child, things that they insisted it weren't feminine. Even if she knew about magic, her knowledge was all for peaceful use. If someone threatened her with violence, there wouldn't be a thing she could do to defend herself. They'd taught her to depend on her guards, something she didn't like but had realized too late to do much about.

Footsteps on the stone floor came from behind her, someone approaching her. She felt like this was someone she trusted, so she took a moment to collect herself. "Zelda?"

"Good evening Joachim," she said, setting her hands in her lap.

"Good evening." He came up and knelt beside her. He was always well-dressed, making him charming in spite of somewhat ordinary looks of wavy brown hair and black eyes. But it wasn't his appearance that she treasured him for.

After a brief silent prayer, Joachim reached over and took her arm. "What's troubling you? I heard you argued with the king again."

She tightened her lips into a frown. "He is needlessly harsh, like he's trying to provoke all of the provincial leaders at this time. Whenever I try to confront him about it, he acts as though he has the god-given right to do this to them and is never at fault. He says the glory of Hyrule will prevail, but some of the things we're doing are anything but glorious. I wish there was more I could do to counter his ambitions."

"If he were more lazy, then we could do a lot through taking more powers from under him," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear him, just in case there was someone there to overhear them. "But he is diligent. I did have an idea for how to counter him."

Inching closer to him, Zelda looked over at his face. "What is it?"

Joachim looked at her and smiled briefly. "You're already well liked, spoken of highly across all the land. We should travel through the provinces and speak with all the peoples who make up Hyrule now. If we help them in little things, listen to them, and show that we care, that will only improve. At the same time, let it be known that Albertos' policies are hindering what we can do, as well as ultimately harming the kingdom."

"It wouldn't do for me to speak out against him strongly like that," she said.

He shook his head. "You don't have to speak strongly. Give little apologetic statements here and there, let people spread it amongst themselves and stir up discontent. With enough time, Albertos will either have to reign in his ambitions or face the people of Hyrule demanding that he step down and let you take over."

"Yes, time, that's the issue," she said, looking down again. "A new legend will begin soon, if it hasn't already begun."

"What do you mean by a new legend?"

"When the land of Hyrule falls in danger, the goddesses will send a hero to defend us," she recited. "It happens regularly through our history, enough to where you can see the parts being put into place. Perhaps even enough for an ambitious person to create the parts in order to trigger the legend without seeming to be at fault."

"Could Albertos really do that?" he asked, considering it himself.

Zelda nodded. "With mother's help, and possibly some others, I believe so. I don't know why he would take such a risk. As the king, he may end up dying in the course of the legend. It would put us all in danger. Or, it might not be him, but others... the time seems right."

"But if we can see it coming, we could take measures to make things less tragic." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever may come, I will be your support and aide."

She put her hand on his. "Joachim, you would put yourself in very grave danger doing that without being the hero. And you don't seem the sort to be one."

"I can do things heroes can't," he said, trying to cheer her up by sounding lighthearted.

She did smile a little at that. "True. And the hero doesn't always marry the princess at the end. Still, you are dear to my heart and that will make you a target regardless of how the hero this time views me. Please, be careful in these coming days. Don't risk yourself even if you have to go into hiding away from me to avoid being killed. I want to have faith in a good ending, but more than that, I want you to still be at my side after the end of this legend. Please, promise me."

Joachim was quiet at that. When she went to clasp his hand, he shook his head. "I can't do that."

"But if you get hurt," Zelda said, some tears coming to her eyes just at the thought of it.

"I'll be careful as much as I can," he said quickly. "But if a time like the legends of old comes around again, it'll be a heavy burden on you. I don't want to leave you to face that alone. I know you can be strong; I want to see to it that you can be even stronger by being with you. So I can't promise that I will part from you just to keep myself safe. I will promise that I will do everything in my power to help you in this."

Fearful of losing him but glad for the promise he gave, she hugged him and sobbed for a moment. "I hope we both make it through this."

"I hope so too," Joachim said softly before giving her a light kiss. "If there is not much time left... would you come with me to our secret place? We can put this out of mind for tonight, then figure out how to handle this starting tomorrow."

She nodded, knowing that if she had to take on this role no matter what her wishes were, she wanted to clasp these moments she had as herself before she had to let them go.

* * *

The reddish-brown horse stopped before the stable door, nose flaring and hooves stamping. "Shhh," Link said to her, coming closer to pat her neck. He was familiar enough with her to know how to keep her from panicking. "Hush, girl," he said softly.

"Why is it that you only ever speak to the horses?" a girl asked as she came out of the stable. In Link's opinion, she was one of the prettier girls in Taven, with lots of freckles from the sun and orange-ish red hair that she kept long and loose. Not to mention her really nice figure, which she knew how to accentuate well. Many of the men around town would like to have Charlotte's attention. Despite her being pretty, he wasn't fond of her attitude and the horses didn't like her.

Not replying to her, Link got hold of Epona's bridle and encouraged her gently to follow him into the stable. The horse gave Charlotte a warning snort, but went inside because he was closer. She was the last that he was bringing in tonight. While the others were larger and stronger, excellent for pulling timber, plows, or wagons, Epona was small but faster. Even in the forest with many obstacles, she could get around quicker. The horses here were owned by the town elder officially, but she was more or less his.

Charlotte followed him in despite being ignored. "That's going to make people think you're weird, you know. Sure, you're great with all the horses and you might just be the best swordsman in town since Gregio got injured. A lot of people do admire you for protecting the town, especially the others at St. Saria. But when you won't talk to other people, just the horses, that makes people doubt you."

Link kept focused on taking Epona's equipment off. He already had a pail of hot soapy water to wash her down with nearby. In his mind, he thought that Charlotte of all people should remember why he didn't like talking. Though it would make sense to him if she was conveniently ignoring things that made her look bad. If he was going to speak to anybody, it definitely wouldn't be her.

"Hey, I'm just trying help you out," Charlotte said, coming over. "You'd be a lot more popular if you spoke up, even just a little. I think you..."

Before she could get close enough to knock the bucket over (or just stub her toes against it), Link turned to her and held a hand up for her to stop. He then pointed down towards the bucket, then waved her to go. Or at least keep back if she was going to keep lecturing him.

"Would you just say what it is you want already?" she demanded, continuing forward a step.

He decided it was better to pick up the bucket and put it further in the stable. Epona was edging away from Charlotte, but still had her saddle on. Ignoring the girl, Link went to take the saddle off fully.

"You can't just keep quiet forever or people are going to walk all over you," Charlotte said. "If you really don't like talking, then why don't you stick with me more often? I know you're really talented and you could be something great. And I could help you out, talking with people for you and making sure you got treated fairly. Wouldn't that be a great thing?"

Link shook his head to that, then grabbed a sponge to start washing Epona.

"Now what's wrong with that idea?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. Not even giving him a chance to answer if he wanted, she went on. "We've known each other for a long time and I know you well."

As he wasn't looking at her, Link smiled at that while shaking his head. Nope, she didn't know him as well as she thought. Epona even snorted when she made that statement.

"Link! Quit being a jerk!"

"Charlotte, don't be bothering Link," an older woman said as she came into the stable. It was the innkeeper. "Especially not when he's working and you've got your own chores to finish."

"I was trying to be nice but he keeps brushing me off," Charlotte said, then left.

Thank goodness. Link glanced over and saw that the innkeeper was bringing in a stranger and his horse. The man had a striking appearance; his red hair stood out starkly against the black cloak he wore. Both the beaded hair tie and cloak were trimmed in gold, with enchantments for defense that would make for nice armor. He even had gold earrings that held a diamond-like sparkle. What kind of lord was this?

"Your horse will be safe in here with the rest," the innkeeper said, opening up one of the unused stalls. "Link, would you make sure Gale's horse is taken care of?"

Turning to them, Link nodded. Then he held up the soapy sponge and pointed over towards the horse to offer to wash it down too.

"Would you wash him down as well?" the man asked. When Link nodded again, Gale said, "I'd greatly appreciate that, thank you. Just be careful, as he is unruly to strangers."

"No need to worry about that, Link has a special touch around horses and takes care of them well," the innkeeper said.

Once he finished washing down Epona and making sure her stall was good, Link went over to take care of the noble's horse. With that kind of gear, Gale had to be nobility of some kind. And he had this magnificent horse too, with a black coat and the look of a purebred. The horse gave him a prideful look of warning as he came in the stall.

"You are a fine horse," Link told him with respect as he started to make sure the stall was good. He'd not been warned that another horse would be in, so he went ahead and replaced the water in the trough. The horse went to take a long drink right away, letting him start with taking off the saddle.

The stallion was taken care of well; that was clear to Link quickly. He'd also had a long run just today. From the amount of dust and sweat, burrs and bits of grass, he and his rider could have come from Hyrule Castle Town. A well-trained horse with just a rider could make that trip in a couple of hours. This horse was strong, used to travel. Battle too, there was a faint scar on one of his hind legs like a monster had attacked him.

"Rest well, stranger," Link told the stallion as he started to get drowsy while being washed. He finished up the task quietly, then made a last check over the stable. Everything looked fine, so he left and locked up to keep the horses safe.

Sometimes, Link thought of trying to talk normally again. With one person, he'd tell himself, make sure he really wasn't as bad as he'd once been. Maybe this Gale person? He took good care of his horse. But he might be worn out from his trek as well, then who knew where he was going and how long he'd be here?

It didn't matter that much. Besides, night had fallen and the lamps around the streets were already lit. He had to be on watch to protect the town for a few hours tonight. Link walked around to find who else was on guard tonight, to hear about how things were.


	2. The Moblin Horse Thieves

**Chapter 2: The Moblin Horse Thieves**

Three sparkling jewels floated above a black marble altar, their innate powers making them twirl in sync with each other. Before him, engravings filled with gold gave cryptic clues about the purpose of this place, clues that he knew well now. Beyond that, an immense stone door that not even the strongest of people could open was waiting. He brought the ocarina up to his lips; a power that he didn't understand tickled at him, waiting for his breath to set it in motion. He played...

...and the water spread as far as the eye could see, beckoning for him to raise the sail and find what secrets it held.

...and the dust flew after his paws as he ran along the road and followed a familiar scent through the unearthly twilight.

...and the land itself was twisted to reflect one filled with bestial madness, giving rise to countless monsters that always returned.

Arise, loyal hero, the sun is setting and the night is coming. A nightmare has been set into motion: the castle will fall into the hands of the king of monsters, the wise princess will be locked away in a tower, dread silence will spread across our fair lands while its people watch the skies fearfully. Arise, our hero, fulfill your destiny.

"Hmm." Link found himself humming as he opened his eyes. The tune echoed within his soul while images from the dream lingered so he would remember. What was this?

A pounding on his doors got him to fully open his eyes and sit up in bed. "Link, I'm coming in," Gregio said, as he opened the door.

He stretched to stir his body in motion and sung his legs over the side as the older man came in. Gregio was one of the caretakers at the orphanage, the man who had been its guardian back when Link was a child. In those days, his masterful swordsplay had inspired Link to train with the sword. But a bad leg injury last year left Gregio's pace slow and stiff. While he still trained some of the children how to fight, he left giving examples to Link and other older students.

"Sorry to disrupt you, but I have bad news," the sword master said. "Moblins broke into the stable before dawn and stole off all the horses there."

Now fully awake with alarm, Link got to his feet and patted his hip, where he would normally have his keys for the stables and around the orphanage.

Gregio nodded. "I know you locked up, I saw it myself around midnight. Several others checked too. However, the Moblins acted with a strange amount of intelligence. They descended on town in three squads. Two specifically distracted the guards and one went right for the stable, hacking the door open with axes. While we're not sure who or what led them in this attack, we know that they took the horses into Trickster's Grotto."

That was even worse. Trickster's Grotto was once the home to a warlock, a natural maze of trees and small tunnels through steep hills. The longer the warlock lived there, the more the grotto because enchanted. Currently, it was inhabited by monsters. No one in Taven liked going into Trickster's Grotto. However, Link had gone in a few times, through an easy to navigate section. He'd seen no reason to explore off that path yet.

"I don't know how far they can get into the Grotto with all the horses," Gregio said. "But I do know you're the only one in town daring enough to go in there. Would you search for them?"

Link nodded, hoping the horses weren't being treated too roughly by the Moblins.

His master shook his hand at that. "Thank you, everyone's depending on you now. Although, there was one fellow who already went into the Grotto after the thieves, a visitor who got awakened by the attack and joined us in order to get his horse back. Gale, he's a traveling noble from the province of Sudai. From what I hear, he may be capable of taking care of himself, but keep an eye out for him too."

Agreeing to that, Link waved Gregio off so he could prepare to head into Trickster's Grotto as quickly as he could. He'd been given some good armor in order to help with protecting St. Saria's Orphanage as well as the town of Taven. Because he often worked with the children, it'd been made in the style of the heroes of legend so as to make them less afraid of him. A chainmail shirt went underneath a green tunic, while some brown shorts went over leg guards. He had some sturdy boots that helped with running and riding, no matter what the terrain.

With some reluctance, he put on the green hat as well. It had a hidden cap that acted as a guard for his head, given a few enchantments to ward off magical ailments. That was the main reason he wore it even though it reminded him of some of the more annoying dreams. With it, he was less likely to fall prey to spells that caused confusion or fatigue. Such protection was especially needed for Trickster's Grotto. Then it was checking his enchanted depth bag to make sure he had a few potions on hand as well as a magic compass that he'd picked up there. With that, his sword (formerly Gregio's, it was mundane but reliable), and a round shield attached to his arm, Link felt ready to go.

One of the other teachers stopped him before he went out. She wanted to give him some water and traveling food, several portions so that he could share with the lost nobleman if needed. On showing her that he did have the proper healing potions, she and some of the gathered children wished him well in getting the town's horses back. A few others in town called out the same to him; none offered to come with him.

That didn't discourage him. Link hurried along the dirt paths in the forest, eating one of the granola bars along the way for his breakfast. The sooner he could get there, the better chance he had of finding the horses in good shape. All around him, the forest seemed to be having a normal morning. Birds sang out into the trees, bugs darted around noisily, a few wild rabbits rushed across his path on being startled. From that, he could tell that the monsters weren't active out here. The Grotto would be a different matter.

On his bag, a small chime sounded. It was the magical compass alerting him that he'd entered the Grotto. There was no real entrance to the place; one could wander in on accident from anywhere on the outskirts. On the ground, he could see the tracks of many horseshoes going in. He hadn't seen any coming away from the grotto. That didn't mean much with all the ways they could leave.

Link took the compass with an idea. He had a horsehair charm attached to his depth bag as well. If he put the charm near the compass… maybe it would find the horses that way? Bringing the compass back up, he found the arrow glowing to the northwest. There wasn't a path to the northwest, but the paths weren't reliable anyhow. He headed off to the west.

When he passed under a low-hanging branch, the compass arrow swung around to the south east. That was one of the problems here. Not even going by sight was reliable for navigating this place; he normally used tree markings he'd made instead. Another problem were the monsters. While the Moblins were bad, it was mostly Bokoblins wandering the paths. They weren't too bad, but they could be horrible with the plant monsters that lurked among the trees. There were a wide variety, from those that could hobble around and confuse the unwary, to those who hung in the trees and threw poisonous thorns. With all that going on, it was understandable that few people wanted to come in.

Eventually, he came upon a red barrier across a path he wanted to go down. He glanced around, spotting someone collapsed down a path towards the south. Someone in a black cloak… Link went over to check on him. From the look of him, he'd been hit by a paralyzing spore from a tree lurker. If you could take the antidote quickly, the spore would have little effect. He must not have had it.

Link did, so he got the antidote to give Gale. He knew how to do some emergency care from helping with the kids. After a few minutes, the nobleman stirred enough to sit up. "Ugh... thank you. I don't know what would have happened to me out like that. What was that?"

He took a deep breath. He had to speak with the stranger, since he wouldn't have the knowledge locals did. "Probably a tree lurker, with paralysis spores. They hide in branches over paths."

"I see. Give me a moment and I should be able to continue on."

"Do you need some water and something to eat?" Link asked, getting out a water bottle.

"That'd be good, if you have something to spare," he said. Once he had something to eat, he was able to get back on his feet. Gale wanted to help retrieve the horses, so Link pointed out the barrier. "Is that in our way? I've dealt with a couple of them getting this far, it's a simple one."

When they went back over, Gale held his hand up to the barrier. He nodded, then traced a symbol that reminded Link of water. It broke the barrier and allowed them to keep following the compass. After passing the shifting point, Link showed him the compass to demonstrate how he was finding his way. Gale seemed impressed at that and was able to handle any of the barriers. Between the two of them, the monsters weren't much trouble either. Link was used to picking out the plant monsters, so they weren't in as much danger from getting afflicted.

Not only that, but Gale was really good at fighting the monsters. He claimed he was a wizard, but he used his magic to summon two dark violet swords that were nearly as tall as him. He struck powerfully with them, taking out monsters much faster than Link could. When it came the plant monsters, Gale could also summon fireballs to ruin them even when they wouldn't come out of the trees. Either of them could handle this place alone, although Gale might get lost again if he tried.

One barrier was a different color, green that nearly blended into the forest. Gale broke it and they found a large opening in the forest beyond it. And there, they saw all the horses that had been taken. Some of the Moblins were resting and others patrolled around to keep the horses there. The worst part would be trying to fight the Moblins without spooking the horses.

"We don't want to be scaring the horses in this place," Gale said, echoing Link's thoughts. "I could put the lot of them to sleep. We'll just need to be careful not to fight near them."

Link nodded. When Gale cast his spell, a sparkling mist fell over the whole meadow. The horses went still and the Moblins that were awake got startled. They hurried in and Gale went to the right to attack the alert Moblin there. Seeing that, Link went to the left. The first Moblin there was a sleeping one, but he felt he could deal with the next one before that one woke up. While Moblins were tough, they weren't too bright and it was easy to avoid taking a hit from them.

After he'd taken down those two, something jumped down from the trees. Link shifted so he wasn't caught off guard by this possibly new foe. Once he got a look at it, he didn't feel concerned. It was a Skull Kid that he often saw around the Grotto, wearing necklaces of bones and a bone decorated straw hat. The Skull Kid had a pan flute in hand. "Enchanted sleep?"

"Don't wake them," Link said, pointing out the Moblin rushing towards them.

The Skull Kid scurried to the side. "Oh! I help?"

He wasn't sure how much help the Skull Kid would really be, but Link nodded before going to parry the Moblin. He heard some notes played before a magic shield went up around him. With that, he could be more aggressive in taking out the Moblins. The Kid didn't do anything more than follow him around after that, but it didn't bother him.

Before long, the three of them had cleared the meadow of Moblins. Gale went to the one completely black horse there, his own. "Good. Is this all the horses from your town?"

Link quickly counted heads and nodded. Epona was nearby too. Coming up to him, the Skull Kid held his pan flute up. "Wake them now?"

"We should figure out how to get the horses out of the dungeon first," Gale said.

"Easy, one-way out there," the Skull Kid said, pointing towards the north. There was a large opening that lead into more forest. But if the Kid was right, it'd be normal forest. Then the Kid looked up at Link. "Oh, I can wake them, but it will be more fun with two. Can you or you play a flute? I've got another." He pulled out a second pan flute.

"Sorry, I don't play music," Gale said.

Link had never played a pan flute. However, he had a lot of dreams about music. Pan flute was one of them, associated with a strange things like trains and puzzling towers. Nodding, he accepted the instrument.

The Skull Kid smiled at him. "Goody good. Here, I'll play the Song of Awakening soft so you know it." And it was a familiar song from the dreams, given on horns but nice on the flutes. Link played with the Kid to get the horses back awake.

Thankfully, the horses were calm. Epona came right to him, nudging his shoulder. He patted her head and smiled. Meanwhile, Gale came over with his horse. "I was wondering, are you a local Skull Kid? Would you have any idea who might be leading those Moblins?"

"Them?" The Skull Kid tilted his head. "I tease them but don't know… oh, but there is a stranger in the deepest part of the Grotto, I know that. If anyone, it's that guy."

"Deepest part of the grotto, hmm?" Gale glanced around. "We should get the horses back to town first. Link, they're familiar with you, so lead the way. I'll bring up the rear."

He nodded, then got on Epona. A quick whistle got the town horses to pay attention. While he didn't often ride bareback, a normal pace should be fine. Link patted her neck and got her to go for the way out. The Skull Kid waved to them, but stayed in the Grotto. Once out, Like had to determine where in the forests they were. There were a few sign posts and significant trees… he spotted an old oak much taller than the trees around it. There were some like that, but the look of it told him they were to the east of town. As the paths were non-magical out here, it was easier to pick out the right way.

Back in town, those adults who weren't already at work greeted them with congratulations and gratitude. Link went around to make sure the horses got to where they needed to be, either at work or in the pasture. Since Gale had asked who was manipulating the Moblins, maybe he would help with tracking that leader down.

Once the horses were taken care of, Link found Gale speaking with Gregio. "Don't mistake me," Gale said. "I'm not a mercenary, nor am I doing this out of charity. Rather, I cannot forgive someone, even a monster, who'd steal my horse. Is the Grotto going to stay as it was or does it change?"

"It won't change paths on the same day," Gregio said, then glanced over him and nodded. "Hello Link. You might be interested in this. After all, you've been in the deeper parts of the Grotto past that meadow."

He nodded. That meadow was the midway point. Afterward, it changed character some. While he had gone past there, it was just to retrieve some herbs that only grew in deeper parts.

Turning back to Gale, the sword master explained, "The Grotto itself does change after that large meadow where you found the horses. The ground becomes broken, with sharp boulders and sudden pits. The trees are unnatural too, some of which are hidden monsters. But if you can manage to get around the first section, it won't take much to get used to the second."

"We got through because he set a magical compass to track horses," Gale said.

"There were also magical barriers this time," Link said slowly. "I can't deal with them."

Gregio rubbed his chin. "Hmm, that's new. It must be whatever was commanding the Moblins. If you can handle those barriers and the disorienting paths, you can handle the whole grotto with some preparation. Are you both going to search for the newcomer?"

Link nodded. Gale glanced at him, then nodded as well. "Sure, I don't mind. It's good to have a local along who's good in a fight."

"You've got him willing to talk around you, so you should work together well," Gregio said. "He doesn't speak much."

Strangely, Gale smiled at him. "I don't see why, he has a nice voice."

Somebody thought he had a nice voice? Link tried not to look too embarrassed or pleased at that. Gale noticed anyhow and seemed amused at that. Gregio chuckled. "Right. Be sure you have potions against the curses and poisons the plants can inflict. Good luck."

* * *

This was going well, Ganon thought. He had found the person who was blessed by the Triforce of Courage, although it had yet to fully manifest in him. And getting his trust was going smoother than he planned for. With Link being self-conscious of his voice, the compliment and awareness to keep patient in listening should do the trick. That could mean the plan he had in mind was more ideal than he expected.

The latter half of the Grotto was nearly claustrophobic, full of narrow crooked paths through giant trees and rock walls. The monsters were able to ambush and surround them. In fact, the monsters here could be brutal if guided with intelligence. If he wanted, he could get them to do be so dangerous. But no. They had to get through this without too much trouble. The ringleader he'd called in should be trouble enough.

"Gale," Link said after they had cleared an area full of spider and plant monsters. He pointed out a chest that was hidden in a small tree. Well, small for this area. It would have been normal for the rest of the forest.

"That's inconvenient," he said. But easy to fix with magic; a gust spell knocked the chest off its perch without opening it. It just needed to be turned over and opened to reveal what was inside: a bow made of wood with leafy nubs still attached to it, along with a quiver with two dozen arrows. "Nothing I need. But, I think you could benefit from having it."

Link studied the bow and quiver for a moment before he picked them up. It was interesting seeing how lost in thought he was just at this weapon. Actually, it made Ganon think too.

"The bow is an excellent tactical weapon," he said. "To use most melee weapons, you need to be strong in your whole body. The bow requires arm strength, hand-eye coordination, and good sight, all of which can be trained by using it. It's also a distance weapon, meaning the user doesn't need to risk themselves by getting close or to take the time to learn magic. Added to that, it can be used well from horseback. But my magic means I really have no use for a bow."

Nodding slowly, Link took out an arrow and set it in the bow. Had he been listening? Ganon didn't feel annoyed at him for potentially not, strangely enough. He was more curious to watch him like this. From the healthy tan and lean muscles, he wasn't one to shy away from the outdoors or work. One could even say he was blessed by nature, given his forest green eyes and honey blond hair. He was physically much more attractive than the princess. Although, the only benefit to Ganon's plans that had was that it'd be easier for him to come up with ways to charm him as Gale. But not too much now, it might backfire if he overdid it at the start.

Link glanced around, then lifted the bow and drew the string back with the arrow notched. Ganon had trained his army, so he instantly saw the excellence in his motions. If the Hylian knights had seen this, no wonder they wanted him in their numbers. A roaming mercenary might make traveling safe for civilians who could pay his fees, true, but he wouldn't be reliable when things came to war. The arrow flew across the room they had cleared, striking just above a branch that sat over one of the twisting passages of this place. From the shrill squeal and leafy thump, they hadn't cleared the room as thoroughly as he had thought. He saw a tiny plant monster, one of those that he got to paralyze him to get the hero's attention, hit the ground briefly before its magic broke and turned it to dust.

"That was an impressive shot," Ganon said. And he was authentically impressed, both that the hero had seen the creature against the leafy branch and that he'd hit it from this distance. "Have you practiced archery as well?"

"No," Link said, lowering the bow. He still had a contemplative look on his face. After a moment, he shook his head, then shrugged. "Only dreamed it... a tall tower in a canyon, striking a flagpole from the road with regular sight. It's very familiar."

"Now that's curious," he said, again being honest. He didn't think the hero was reborn in a way that retained such knowledge. Ganon knew his own soul moved from life to life mostly intact, awakening fully sometime after adulthood. Then again, perhaps it explained some things. There wasn't much writing directly from any of the heroes that survived, but the combat skills they regularly used were things that needed training. And many stories said that the hero was naturally talented. "Even if it may be easier to pick up than magic, usually some training is needed, especially for that."

"As long as I can use it, there's no time to wonder why here," he said, now strapping his quiver to his back. "We should move on so we can get out of here before dark."

"True, that would be prudent," Ganon agreed.

Forests on their own were easy enough to get lost in if one wasn't familiar with the place. Trickster's Grotto purposely went out of its way to be confusing and easy to get lost in. If it hadn't been for the magical compass Link had (or several spells that Ganon could think of), they could have spent days trying to find the deepest part. But they did come upon it while the sun was still out. There was a dilapidated house that was barely standing, with vines coating its walls and the stench of rotted wood clinging closer.

While Link walked through slowly and looked around, Ganon put his right hand over where the Triforce of Power manifested on his left. He didn't want the monster here to recognize him as its master; he wanted it to go berserk and attack. In response to his plan, there was a brief golden shine showing through his fingers. It would be done.

"Aaaaiiiiyyyyaaa!" The bloodthirsty scream was enough to alert Link and get him out of the way when the creature came leaping down from the trees overhead. This was a Moblin Shaman, a rarity that came about when a Moblin of more intelligence than average was created. With dark green skin and eyes of gold, it was clad in a chaotic mishmash of mystical symbols. Including, amusingly enough, several pendants much like the Hylian royal family's crest, a small charm made of horsehair that was popular here in Taven, and even the eagle claw crest that represented Sudain royalty. It might have been smart for a Moblin, but it was still a Moblin who liked things without knowing what they meant.

More troublesome, it came with a dozen ethereal Skull Bubbles that kept close to the Shaman. "Those bubbles will curse anyone else who comes close," Ganon said as Link backed up closer to him. "But this Shaman is using them to create a powerful shield around itself. We won't be able to do anything to it until the Skull Bubbles are gone."

Link nodded in acknowledgment and pulled out his bow. Really, Ganon could dispatch this Shaman easily by himself: crush the Skull Bubbles then torch the Shaman will intense fire. But the whole point of this was to get Link to do something heroic enough to make the Triforce of Courage manifest. The Triforce couldn't be made whole while one of the pieces was still in hiding, and his plans would have to be altered if Link continued to stay around Taven much longer.

To give him a chance, Ganon only took out three of the Skull Bubbles with simple ice spears. Link was able to accurately shoot down the other nine with his arrows, not an easy task when they revolved around the Moblin Shaman. Nor when the Shaman itself kept leaping around the area, flinging fireballs, ice spears, wind blades, and even earth spikes at them. Eventually, it stopped and danced around with a gibberish incantation, waving its arms about wildly. Link shot out the last of its Skull Bubbles then and followed up with an arrow to the Shaman itself.

The Moblin Shaman didn't heed it and finished its casting. The forest opening went dim seconds before a violet bolt of lightning struck them both. While Ganon was prepared for that, Link wasn't and was briefly stunned with pain. It wouldn't do for hm to die here and now. Ganon hurried over to deflect the following fireballs with his cloak before he cast a healing spell over Link. Alert and whole again, Link set his bow aside to draw his sword. The Shaman was unable to do anything at melee range, unable to get away once Link started his attack. With a fearful wail, the Moblin Shaman collapsed into magical smoke and dust, defeated.

"That would make sense for being the one to lead the other Moblins," Ganon said. "We should probably still check around; is there anywhere further to go in this place?"

Link shook his head, then went to glance in the abandoned house. Checking with the Triforce again, Ganon could sense no more strong monsters in the area. Good, the Shaman was the only one he had sent in. But it wasn't enough to make the last piece of the Triforce manifest. Courage was usually the last to appear, but he'd hoped to have it active for his next move. That move would be swift and could not be delayed for long.

"I think we're in the clear," Ganon said after a few minutes of making a show of looking around too. "You know, you're really talented. You'd do well as a traveling mercenary, or even as a hero."

He shook his head again, coming over. "I got denied when I asked the castle to be a mercenary. Besides, that was mostly for the orphanage's benefit. The children need to be protected, especially when we want to send them to new families in other provinces."

"Ah yes, that makes sense." Perhaps he should have had the Shaman kidnap one or more of the children. The hateful entity that had come to him liked that idea even though he didn't. He'd seen too many children suffer over this lifetime. "You seem to have plenty of people around who could help, if they were more willing to."

"Some of the older boys and girls are becoming capable," he said, perhaps still thinking about setting out on his own. Then he bowed to him. "Thank you for assisting with this. The monsters have been organizing more lately, so this might make things safer."

Ganon shrugged. "It's nothing. Although, I wouldn't count on this as more than a temporary relief." Link looked curious, so he explained further. "I've been traveling all through Hyrule's lands in the past few months and this isn't the first time I've heard of these things. The monsters becoming more organized, as well as more aggressive. Everywhere I go, the nights have become dangerous and the people are more afraid. Something's happening that we may be unable to stop. And no matter where I go, there are not many like you or I who are willing to go find and confront the greater dangers. Most simply become defensive and stay where things are safe."

"So it is more than just our province," Link said, thinking seriously over the matter.

"Someone really should investigate these matters, but I have a job to keep and I've already been delayed here," Ganon said. "Eventually there'll be a tipping point where these monsters overcome civilization. Law and order will no longer matter as people struggle just to survive, risking their lives any time they travel outside of towns. Some monsters could even rule towns, leading to the rise of a tyrannical monster king who spreads corruption and suffering. Of course, that's one worst case scenario. It may be enough for someone to go around and slay the monster leaders, making them go back to disorganized creatures."

"People should be able to go out and do that, to defend their towns," he said.

"But finding people who will, that's the problem. Maybe I'll try encouraging that. Well then, I'm sorry to change the topic so abruptly, but you've been an interesting ally. Would you like to be penpals?"

"Penpals?" Link asked, which Ganon could have replied to. But he seemed to be concentrating, so he gave him a moment, leading him to add, "That could be interesting, but, you're a traveler, right?"

He brought out a sturdy envelope that he'd prepared for this purpose. "Yes, but I have to keep up correspondences with a number of people. Nearly all of it is business related, which is a pity. I've always thought that having a friendly correspondence through letters would be fun thing to have. I might even have some interesting things to teach you, if you're thinking about traveling yourself. Here, this is an envelope that we can bind to the two of us with magic. It will then be able to deliver itself between us, no matter where we may have wandered."

"All right, I'd like that," he said with a smile. So before he could even be officially recognized as the hero this time around, Link was already falling prey to the villain's machinations. It was a delightful triumph, even though it might have been more useful to crush him here and now. But no, that was the hateful entity's wishes. Ganon's plans were going to be far more useful.

* * *

Dry dust and straw was kicked up as these students went about their practice. Familiar thunks of wooden practice swords against bamboo posts filled the air, along with Gregio's corrections, compliments, and commands. Wearing leather armor and helmets, the teens and a few older children worked towards bettering their swordsmanship. But most would probably move on to apprentice to a lumberjack, carpenter, or shepherd, same as most of the students who had trained alongside him. Link watched from the sides, relaxing this evening after going into Trickster's Grotto twice.

"Keep at it," Gregio said to a thirteen year old boy who had stopped striking the post for more than a moment.

"Why've we got to keep hitting it over and over again?" the boy asked. From the way he held his sword, he wasn't yet tiring. "I've got the slash down, can't I learn more?"

"You don't have the slash down, as you put it," Gregio said, taking his right arm and putting him through the motion again. "Keep using the move over and over until your arm knows it enough that your mind doesn't have to think about it. The motion should be fluid, smooth, and natural. You're still rigid and jerky."

Right then, Charlotte plopped down beside him on the raised walk around the practice pit. She held onto a water gourd as if she was there to make sure the students got something to drink. She might be, or she might be here to nag at him as usual. "There you are, where have you been? I heard you went to get the horses back, but then you were nowhere around town the rest of the day."

If he left to see about this trouble with monsters, he'd be able to get away from her. It really wasn't a good reason to leave, Link knew. However, he also had the feeling that if he didn't do something soon, Charlotte would start telling people that she was his girlfriend and a good portion of town might actually believe her. Then it'd be even harder to get away from her. This might be a good chance.

She continued on without giving him a chance to speak up, as usual. "Though that was a great feat you pulled off, getting them out of that devil-cursed grotto. You've got the skills and the guts to be a knight, you know. I really don't see why you turned down the castle's offer that one time; you would be a great knight. And hey, if you did go off to train, I'd be willing to go with you. You know, make sure you're taken care of and help you out in the city. There's a lot more people there that you can't just keep silent to. Though, today's events don't really help the notion that you care about the horses more than anyone else."

"Charlotte, if you're going to be helping out here, don't be bothering Link," Gregio said.

She pouted, but with a glint of fury in her eyes. "I'm not bothering him! I'm helping him out too."

However, Gregio gave a sly smile at that. "Oh really? I'd say that you were bothering him because he doesn't bother to speak to you at all. In contrast, he spoke with and helped out a rather attractive stranger just today."

"What?!" Charlotte asked, shocked. The students paused, several of them giggling at the scene. "That can't be, who was she?"

"Oh wow, Link was really talking?" one of the girl students nearby asked.

While Charlotte fumed next to him, Link smiled a little and put a hand to his cheek, carefully saying, "Only to nice people." Which made the class giggle and laugh even more.

"What do you mean by that?" Charlotte asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"He means that you've been bothering him and he'd rather not acknowledge you," Gregio said. "And the stranger was a good man; he was willing to go right into Trickster's Grotto to get his horse back, and went back in even after learning of the dangers." Then the sword master turned to his students. "And that is something you should aspire to: being brave enough to confront dangers to those you care about, even the horses, so that they are safe and unharmed. Courage makes the power you learn through swordsmanship into something useful; Wisdom makes such power turn to a good thing. And courage and wisdom makes sure that the things you do are worthwhile. By training with all three virtues, any of you can become someone great."

"Yes, master," the students said, some behind the others as they hadn't expected it.

While he had been speaking, Charlotte had huffed at being dismissed and would have slammed the water gourd down if Link hadn't caught it. They didn't need it to crack and become useless. She took off after that. So her objective had been trying to convince him to work for her goals. But, he had his own now. Once the students were dismissed to wash up before dinner, Link went to speak with Gregio. "Master?"

"Yes, what is it Link?" he asked. He was patient enough to listen.

He wasn't as slow as usual, since he'd been thinking over this since leaving the Grotto's center with Gale. "Are they in good shape? I would like to go to Hyrule Castle to see about requesting a mercenary license directly. What happened today, it might not be isolated. Gale says many places have increased problems with monsters. But I don't wish to leave this place without enough people to protect it."

Gregio gave it some thought while touching some marks on the practice posts. "Some of the older ones are at a good point to test their responsibility by giving them duties in guarding the daily walk and the town limits at night. That is where some quit. But these kids, they look up to you and thus I think they may stick with it." He turned and smiled. "It would help if you asked them yourself to protect the town while you're away."

"Sure, I'll mention something to them," Link agreed.

"I've heard some talk from travelers that does suggest that the monsters seem to be preparing for something," Gregio said. "Perhaps it's the many wars that have gone on in the current king's reign that have stirred them up. While many people would appreciate someone looking into this, as well as taking care of the more dangerous monsters, it's hard to say if the castle will support you in this. If you run into trouble, perhaps you can try to speak to Princess Zelda about the matter."

"Zelda." The name caused shivers up his spine.

At first, Gregio didn't notice anything peculiar. "The travelers say that she is a reasonable person, much easier to deal with than her parents." Then he paused before taking his arm. "Link?"

"Darkness is coming," he said, closing his eyes. "I have dreams about the past that I should not be able to know; Gale said my first shot with a bow was a masterful one. Sometimes, I feel like I'm being called. But, they wouldn't call a hero if one wasn't needed."

"That is a strange sign, foreboding." Gregio patted his arm, making Link open his eyes to look at him again. "Although, I believe in you. You might be quiet, but I can see the heart of a hero in you already. I wish I could do more myself, but as I am, I'll do what I can to make sure my other students are prepared to keep our village safe. And if you are having such dreams, you'll have to speak to Zelda sooner or later. She should be capable of helping you. If you are prepared, then the time of darkness may not be long."

That was true. Maybe it didn't seem like a hero was needed now. But if he put his heart and soul into this, then a hero might not be needed for long. "Okay. I'll do all I can to make that so."


	3. The Bureaucracy of Being a Mercenary

****Chapter 3: The Bureaucracy of Being a Mercenary****

To Gale:

I hope you're doing all right on your travels. I'm getting ready to leave Taven myself tomorrow morning. If things go well, I'll be getting a license to do mercenary work from Hyrule Castle. Some things you said and others that I've noticed have me worried about how things are. Mercenary work will allow me to look into it and still repay the orphanage that raised me. Maybe we'll run into each other again.

Before you showed up, I had been unsure of leaving town when I'm one of its active defenders. But Gregio (the sword master you talked to about Trickster's Grotto) got after everyone else who shared that duty about leaving rescuing the horses up to just me and a stranger. He and I even took out some of his current students to learn how to navigate the grotto safely, in case another monster leader shows up there. That's why I didn't have a chance to write you for several days, as I've been doing a lot around town. With that handled, it should be okay for me to leave.

What kind of work are you traveling around for? It's okay if you just want to give me a general idea, as I'm just curious what you're up to.

From Link

Ganon was currently in a military camp hidden in one of the many small caves spread throughout Hyrule. These caves were vital to his plan as a way to shift people around without causing much notice. For this initial strike, secrecy was of utmost importance. A good portion of the Hylian knights were away fighting in one of Albertos' wars of vanity; Lavanne had been taken over a year ago, but its people were fiercely independent and were not taking Hylian rule peacefully. Ganon wished his own people in Sudai had been the same way. But, he had just been a naive boy then and had desperately wanted the war to end.

Setting the letter in a secure box that would only open to his touch, Ganon made sure no one else would see it. There were a pair of guards in the cave room he'd taken for his own, but they were Darknuts. When he snapped his fingers, the Triforce symbol on his hand shimmered. The Darknuts saluted, then walked on either side of him as he went to meet up with his generals. Monsters such as them had total allegiance to him now. Although, he only had trust in them when it came to fighting. They weren't good for much else.

Three men and one woman met him in the war room, three of them saluting promptly. The last gave a lazy sort of salute, a smirk briefly on his face. Medras had been rising up in the army since before the Triforce came to Ganon, one of those who liked these times. During this final discussion of how to take Hyrule Castle, he wanted to use poisonous fog to weaken the guards. He shrugged when another general told him that it would end up hurting civilians, saying, "That's too bad, but a necessary price."

"Necessary?" Ganon asked, stopping his pacing by Medras.

"It's too much," General Leonidas said. He was of old Sudai nobility, very loyal with a strong conscience. "We're not seeking cruelty, we're seeking justice. Such a plan will make far more civilians suffer than knights and soldiers."

"But we'll want to get within the castle as quickly as possible," the cruel one said. "That's why we're taking such care to move about under the cover of night, hiding our tracks. Once our attack force is discovered, whoever holds the castle grounds will hold the greatest advantage. It can become a fortress within an hour, so I hear. If we don't want to deal with a long and frankly boring siege getting that castle, we need to get it as our first move by any means possible."

"We all know that, but there's other more precise plans we can do," the lady general Kimbera said. That was one lesson from his parents that he kept well: anyone who showed a good mind and power should be respected for it, whether a man or a woman, young or old. Their hard work was to be acknowledged; Kimbera had certainly worked hard to earn her position here.

"Too complicated and it will make us look like softhearted idealists. Much better to take out as many of the enemy as possible, wouldn't you say so?" Medras looked up to him, expecting approval.

He shouldn't have let this man get this powerful. His plan with a poison fog, though... Ganon enjoyed the thought of so many of those high and mighty Hylians suffering, paying the price for all the suffering they had inflicted. It would be satisfying. Would it? Did the civilians really deserve a slow painful death like that? There would be children there, not old enough to remember the previous war. But the idealists would hold them back, maybe allow too many to survive and then seek vengeance for their invasion. But ideals like that should be prized.

"My liege?" Kimbera asked, after he'd not moved or reacted outwardly. Medras was still smiling, but his eyes showed uncertainty.

"We're going with my plan," Ganon said. While they were still puzzled over his moment of slowness, he brought out a dagger with swiftness and impaled the cruel general's heart in one blow. A hand motion and a silent order got a Stalfos to appear to take Medras' body away and make sure he was dead. Especially in the mind. "And I will not tolerate any kind of foolishness or sloppiness, understand? We are making precision cuts to take out corruption. But said cuts will be made with great force. While I'm at it, I want to emphasize that no one is to break cover before the attack. If our troops are discovered before we move in, I will make sure the entire unit that betrayed us and all of their families suffer for such actions. Is that clear?"

The other three nodded with fearful respect. It disgusted and delighted him.

* * *

The morning Link planned on leaving his hometown, a small group came with him to the town entrance gate to bid him farewell. It did not include Charlotte, much to his relief. Though it did include one of the girls at the orphanage who had a child's crush on him. She bashfully gave over an extra bundle of arrows. "Me and my friends put bits of our allowance together to get you some of these," she said. "Cause they say sometimes you can retrieve arrows, but sometimes you can't."

"Thank you, that helps," he said to her. He'd already picked up what seemed like a good supply of arrows, but a few more couldn't hurt.

The girl smiled up at him while a couple of her friends giggled. "Yeah! So you're gonna go off and rescue a princess and marry her, right? But if it doesn't work out, you can always come back and see me instead."

He smiled back and rubbed her head, although the fact that she was ten years younger than him made it unlikely he would come back for her. "I'll keep that in mind." That at least made the kids happy.

"Well it doesn't have to be anything as grand as that," one of the teachers said. "But I know you'll do good things out there regardless."

While that's what he planned to do, Gregio had some unexpected advice to go along with it. "I'm sure Link will," the sword master said. "Even so, be careful and don't let anyone pressure you into doing anything for the sake of destiny or fate. You are like the hero of legends, perhaps too much so. Whatever you end up doing, make sure it's something that you want to be doing. A real hero doesn't do things because he or she has to, but because he or she wants to."

"Like you taught me?" he asked, giving a nod. "I'll keep that in mind too."

They then wished him well before he took Epona's reins and left town with her. That had been a gift he appreciated. While he'd been allowed to ride Epona around town and into the forest, he'd never been sure if he'd be allowed to take her if he left town. But the town elder had willing to pass the horse's ownership over to him once he asked, saying it was out of gratitude for his years of work taking care of all the town horses.

The road from Taven to Hyrule Castle was a wide dirt path through the lush green fields. Link and Epona had made this trip before, although not on their own. This time, there was a sense of freedom and wonder passing down this gentle path. Once out of the forests around Taven, he entered the wide grassy field that offered many possibilities. He could check out a cluster of trees growing atop a rise near the center of this field. Or, he could go down to the wide rive that cut across the land; it was said that there was good fishing to be had in that area. He could even take one of the other paths that headed into other provinces of the land.

So much to explore… but he had to restrain himself. As beautiful as these lands were, there were still monsters lurking around. He could see some Bokoblins shuffling through the grass, occasionally poking their distorted heads up to look around. Along the road itself, there were some giant spiders that tried to jump out and take them down. His new bow was able to clear them out well before they put Epona in danger. It was also good for taking out some flying Peahats and shadowy falcons that would have attacked him as well. As long as he was just taking care of himself and his horse, it didn't matter what he did.

But once he came across someone in trouble outside of his hometown, he could end up in a lot of trouble with the knights. Link wouldn't want to leave someone in danger, especially when he could do something to help. But if they rewarded him and word got out about what he did, he could be called out on unlicensed mercenary work. It didn't matter if he hadn't asked for anything for his work; if he got something for it, the knights would be watching him. Link didn't like it, but his master had gotten in trouble on multiple occasions for doing just that.

After a quiet ride down the road, he arrived before noon as he'd hoped for. Hyrule Castle Town was a beautiful place, if defensive with its huge walls topped with watchtowers. The castle itself sparkled in the distance, while beautiful flowerbeds and fountains sat just outside the massive southern gates. As Link passed through, he could see that the market street was bustling as always. There were a number of taverns, inns, and stables along the southern wall to accommodate travelers such as himself. He took Epona to a stable he knew would take care of her well, then followed a less crowded street to get to the castle.

While many other towns in the kingdom were small and only known for a few trades, one could find almost anything in Hyrule Castle Town. Just getting to the castle, Link passed by a glassworks, a huge smithy, a jeweler's workshop, and three different doctor offices. There were more apartments and houses in another part of town, including some beautiful residences that seemed like miniature castles. Then merchants from other provinces would show up in the marketplace with goods made in those places. This place had been thriving for centuries, far better than towns like Taven which had been built up only decades ago, after other towns in the area had fallen apart. Nowhere else could compare.

Link liked coming here, but he didn't think he'd want to live in this place. They did a good job keeping this place clean and bright with colorful gardens. However, it was too crowded and he preferred grassy paths over this fully stone ground. Maybe it was because he'd grown up around a forest, as there certainly weren't enough trees around to make him feel comfortable. Still, it was beautiful in its own way.

The castle was set apart from the town, wrapping its stone walls around the town like a mother embracing a child. A clear drifting moat was surrounded by a pair of straight grassy paths, where the trees grew in a neat row and every bush was kept well trimmed. Past that, a secondary wall protected the grand old castle itself. The gates were open today, as he expected. Although, visitors like himself were only allowed in the first part of the castle, a small portion that dealt with public matters like obtaining licenses and paying taxes.

Still, it left no doubt in the wealth and power of the royal family. Detailed paintings depicting famous events were hung on the marble walls, while a starry gold chandelier hung overhead to give the entrance hall a warm light. A few precious treasures were on display under glass cases; some children accompanied by a teacher were talking about them in wonder. At the far end of the room, there was a massive set of doors that each bore a golden engraving of the royal family's sign. But the pair of fully armored knights with large swords indicated that the doors were not for public passage.

A woman working there directed him to the knight's office there to ask about the mercenary license. There, he had to speak with a knight captain about the matter. It made Link uneasy because the man had a cold disinterested look when told of his request. He could tell the captain was one of those who wouldn't listen long to someone who couldn't speak well. Still, Link put that uneasiness aside as best he could and said, "I want the license to look into what travelers have said, that there are troubles with monsters all over."

"That's not a sufficient reason to become a mercenary," the knight captain said. "The knights can take care of such matters and we do not need reckless people going around doing things they don't know about."

If the knights could take care of matters, then why weren't they? Taven only got visited by a knight or two once a month. They usually just looked around town, spent a night at the inn, then headed back without hardly talking to any locals. When the village elder asked for assistance with the increased attacks at night, he'd never heard back. There was once when they'd gotten a whole squadron of knights in town, but they had only been passing through to get further south to Lavanne.

Before Link could get his words together, the knight captain went on to say, "If you really want to help out, you'd do better to join us and train up to be a knight. If you prove you have the talent, rather than only trying to take the image of a hero, then we'll provide for your equipment, housing, and general needs. You'll get a lot more honor and trust that way."

"That wouldn't help, with what I want," Link managed to say, but how did he put this? He put a hand to his lips and tried to think, but it was so much easier to put words together in his head than to say them.

"Nonsense, the knights are the best protection from monsters we have," the captain said as if Link had insulted his pride. "Nobody can compare to the Hylian knights! We are protecting the honor and legacy of our grand kingdom..."

Then someone else came into the knight's office and had no qualms in interrupting. "Are you haranguing a civilian again?" a young man in a nobleman's attire asked. "Honestly, he probably didn't come in here to be lectured."

"This is none of your business, Joachim," the knight captain snapped. "Someone like you can know nothing of a knight's true honor."

"I know better than to cause people a headache," Joachim said, then looked at Link. "Is this about a mercenary's license?" When Link nodded, he added, "Thought so, that usually sets him off. I'll handle this, captain, licenses are a part of my domain."

"You would let dishonorable ruffians do as they please if they pay you off right," the knight captain said. "Hmph, well then if this fellow causes trouble, it'll be your ass in the fire."

"I don't mind that," Joachim said. "Well then, I'm Joachim Delours, a trade officer and notary. Let's go by my office across the way. What's your name?"

"Link Verden," he replied, following him back out into the entrance hall. "Thank you, for this."

"It's no trouble," he said, but didn't say anything more until they were in his office.

While the knight's office was more showy with flags, banners, and a barely used desk, Joachim's office was definitely worked in. He had bookshelves along all walls, full of books, files, and bins holding various forms. His desk had various tools of a notary, like an ink well, an ink pad for thumbprint signatures, a stapler, an abacus, a locked moneybox, and more. In a small adjacent room, it looked like he had even more references along with some devices that Link was unfamiliar with.

Joachim surprised him by saying, "Don't sit down quite yet, our business will be better conducted with someone else. You see, I'm close to the princess and she felt someone like you would show up today. Once I spotted you in the captain's office, I had to intervene right away."

"What does Zelda want from me?" he asked, glad he was on his side.

"That she wasn't entirely clear on," he said, finding what he wanted on the shelves and pulling out some papers. "But it may be simply to help you. You see, we're going to need her approval to get you a mercenary license without having a captain's signature. The king may have said it was to create an opportunity and prevent abuse, but such licenses are ridiculously rare. Why are you looking for one?"

His thoughts stalled for a moment again. "I… my hometown Taven nearly lost all of our horses to Moblins when the knights wouldn't come out to assist us, after two years of their nightly raids." While Joachim briefly raised an eyebrow at how slow he spoke, he kept quiet and listened. "Myself and another finally took care of them. I hear other places have such problems and I want to know more, to do something more." Feeling embarrassed, Link put a hand to his cheek. "Sorry, I… I know I'm a poor speaker."

"It's okay," Joachim said. "Your line of work wouldn't really require much speaking, would it? But that trouble tells me that you must be sincere to have come all this way to ask about it in person. I can sign off of the license, but as I said, we'll need Zelda to sign as well to avoid dealing with the captain. Come on, she shouldn't be far."

In fact, she was in another office in the public area. He and Joachim had to wait for a few minutes, though, as a group of Zoras were in speaking with her. In the meantime, Joachim asked him a few questions about the Moblins stealing horses as he was interested in the incident. Link had heard that many nobles were snobbish and looked down on others, but Joachim seemed like a good person that wouldn't discriminate.

Once the Zoras left, they went in to see the princess. Zelda was busily checking a book against notes she'd made, dressed relatively simple for how one expected a princess to be. She did have a purple shawl with a marking of her family, over a long pale pink dress with a lace belt. However, she wore no jewels and it looked practical for doing office work here. She was quite beautiful still, with long white hair and a delicate face that might be an artist's muse.

"Zelda, pardon us for butting in," Joachim said warmly. The sparkle to his eyes hinted that he might be more than just close to the princess.

Link was sure of that when Zelda immediately looked up and smiled gladly. "It's fine, I..." she then glanced over at him and looked more serious. "Oh. Are you called Link?"

He nodded while Joachim explained, "We're here to get him a mercenary's license, so he can travel around the lands and look into monster troubles the towns have been having."

"Ah, of course." She seemed embarrassed herself. "I'm sorry, I hope I'm not troubling you. It's just, some troublesome signs have appeared throughout the kingdom. And then here you are like I've seen… I have a bad feeling about Hyrule's future, that my father's machinations will come to haunt us soon. You're not the problem, but if things go as I fear..." she seemed at a loss for words.

"We're doing all we can to alleviate that," Joachim said, more to her than him.

"If darkness is coming, we should make it brief," Link added.

"Of course, thank you." Zelda set a bookmark in her place, then held her delicate hand out to Joachim. "So you have the forms? I've got an idea that may help out as well." Once she had the papers, she started filling them out. "This will take a little time to file, but if I ask you directly to take on a task, you won't have to hang around town and wait on it. You'll be on official royal business, so the knights won't be able to trouble you."

"All right," Link said, then followed along as the two of them explained about the licensing form. There were a number of parts that they said were only there to give reasons for rejection, but being honest on his form gave nothing objectionable.

Once that was done, Joachim left to file the application. Zelda had him stay. "So you want to look into the troubles that monsters have been causing lately. It's true, they've been getting more aggressive and organized over the past few years. Some people suggest that the wars are stirring them up, which could be. But there could also be someone in the background guiding them.

"Did you see the people I speaking to before you? The Zoras have been asking for assistance from the knights for several months as a monster has taken up residence in a cave by Lake Hylia. It's been attacking and eating lone Zoras, usually at night. As they started to avoid it, it's come further up the river itself to prey on them. The knights have put it as a low priority that they aren't even looking into because the Zoras can be fierce warriors of their own right.

"But, there's a problem the knights and even my father are willfully ignoring." She waved a hand, calling a map of Hyrule over by magic. When it was on her desk, she had the enchanted map focus in on Lake Hylia. "The monster's den is, here, as part of this huge cliff at the northern end of the lake's valley. The Zoras are excellent warriors, but that's in the waters. To get to the den's entrance, there are two ways. One is by going through an underwater tunnel that collapsed shortly after the Zora Eater took residence there. The other is by climbing up the cliff face, something the Zoras cannot do easily with the way their bodies are formed. Can you climb a rock wall?"

Link nodded. "I lived in Taven, surrounded by forests and occasional rough boulders. I couldn't take my horse over there, but I could climb up the cliff."

Zelda smiled gratefully. "Great! Then that's the first task you have from me: go take care of this Zora Eater monster. You should probably go visit the Zoras first; they live in the mountains at the source springs of Lake Hylia. Even if the den is on a cliff face, there is an underwater section you'll need to traverse to track down a beast that travels in water. I can allot you some money to bargain some gear they have to help humans swim and dive better.

"Also, there's something more. This cave that the monster has taken residence in, there are rumors that a champion's medal was lost within it years ago, specifically the Medal of Valor. It is one of the three keys that keeps the Master Sword asleep within its shrine." She momentarily looked sad again. "I did not want this to be a time when that weapon was needed again. Perhaps it won't, perhaps it will. Nevertheless, if you can claim one of those champion medals properly, even those stubborn knights will not be able to argue that you don't have honor. The monster is a priority, but keep an eye out for the Medal of Valor in there."

"All right," Link said. It sounded like a good place to start.

* * *

Zelda had taken an early lunch as usual, so she met with Joachim for an afternoon tea. "Looks like the legends are truly replaying in Hyrule," she said.

"The hero seems very sincere," Joachim said, sitting back in his chair. "He might not have said anything to you, but he apologized to me for not speaking well. We can trust his word, I believe."

"He didn't tell me, but I could tell he was watching his words carefully," she said. "Although that fits as well; the hero is usually not one for many words, one reason we don't hear much about them except through the accounts of others." She set her tea cup down. "Well we have Link set to start a quest to claim the Master Sword."

"You're sure the Medal of Valor is in that cave?" he asked.

Zelda nodded. "I made sure to track them down. The one thing that could cause trouble in getting the medals is in getting to the Dust Devil Flats. Although if he impresses the Zora, they can help him out there."

"One of them ended up out there, huh?" The door opened up noisily as the knight captain walked in. They had to stop with that conversation with him in there. Past him, they could hear someone screaming. "Captain?" Joachim asked, getting out of his chair.

Then she saw someone coming in behind the captain, a dark-skinned man with long red hair. Ganon wasn't supposed to be around the castle anymore, having gone back to Sudai a week ago. "Here they are," the captain said, turning to Ganon.

"Captain, what's going on?" Zelda said, standing up as well.

"We've got your parents and most of the castle captured already," Ganon said coldly. "You shouldn't resist, I wouldn't mind hurting the king and queen if you both don't cooperate with me."

What was she supposed to do? Neither of them were capable of fighting like either of these two. She looked to the captain, who smiled smugly. "It's about time your family got knocked out of power. You're regretting ignoring all my advice, aren't you?"

"You'd betray us?" Zelda asked. Although now that she thought of it, it wasn't too much of a surprise. He was an unpleasant person to deal with, to all but her father. If Albertos argued with the captain, it was sure to be trouble.

"It seems that is how he treats those he swore loyalty to," Ganon said. Unexpectedly, he called the captain's sword out of its scabbard by magic. When the captain turned to him in confusion, he sent the sword flying through his chest so hard that he was immediately pinned to the wall.

"M-master Ganon?" the captain gasped.

"You've done what I wanted and I cannot trust someone whose loyalty is so fickle," Ganon replied. He snapped his fingers, summoning three Darknuts into the room. "Take your just rewards. As for you, feeble desk clerk."

"Me?" Joachim asked, not sure what to do.

"You'll be locked in your office," he said, gesturing for one of the Darknuts to take him away. "The kingdom isn't going to run itself, so you make sure all the little bits and bobs get taken care of for me. Perhaps your everyday work hasn't been done so the people of this town keep living, but it will now. Understand?"

He clearly didn't like this, but hearing that the townspeople might suffer consequences for his actions made him resolved. "Yes sir, I do sir."

Before the Darknut could take him, Zelda took his hand. "Don't lose hope, Joachim."

Keeping as brave as he could, he smiled back at her and clasped her hand for a moment. "Same to you, Zelda." Then he nodded to the Darknut and headed off towards his office, the monster quick to follow along.

Ganon waited for them to be gone, then looked over her. "As for you, I need you dead." Zelda bit her tongue and tried to keep brave at this too. But there had to be a chance, or she'd be pinned to the wall just like the captain. "If it were that simple, you'd already be dead. It's not, so you'll be taken to one of the towers instead. But you're fond of that young man, so I hear. I would prefer him alive, but he can be tormented a great deal without cutting into his capacity to work. As long as you keep quiet and cooperate, I'll make sure he's treated fairly. You might even get him to visit you."

"Very well," she said, not liking this. Bur for right now, she didn't have a way out of it.

To make matters worse, he smirked at that. "Excellent. You're better mannered than your parents no matter what the situation. As for their fate, that will come in a few days." Then he looked off to the side. "And you back there, don't think I don't know you're there."

It had to be Impa, Zelda thought. For now, she didn't appear. Zelda looked down and shivered. She didn't want to see her killed off as well.

Ganon silently ordered for one of the Darknuts to take her by the hand. Then he turned to face a little to the left of the door, where a china cabinet stood. "You're her caretaker, aren't you. Well I could either break her legs so that you can't break her out of captivity or I could allow you to be imprisoned with her so you can follow your duty there. Will you fail your duty or carry it out?"

Would he really break her legs if Impa got away? Whether he would or not, Impa made her decision and appeared standing in front of the china cabinet. She wasn't as obviously muscular as the knight captain, but she was trained as a bodyguard too. "You're a monster," she said.

"Not yet," Ganon said. "Since you're here, we'll all go up to the tower. Get moving."

He didn't say anything more on the way, and the Darknut firmly kept a hold on Zelda so that she couldn't go walk by Impa. They went straight for the prison tower, kept well-guarded and separated from the rest of the castle. Up at the very top, there was a dim small cell that only had a slit in the wall for light. However, he put them in the other cell there, one that was comfortable and almost like the bedrooms elsewhere in the castle. The main differences were that this one could be locked tight and the windows were barred. The Darknuts were left out in the hall to make sure they stayed put.

"I'm sorry, Zelda," Impa said, her voice betraying that she was deeply troubled. "The captain or someone plotting with him must have put up a sound barrier around the room. I did not realize the castle was being invaded at all."

Getting an idea, Zelda went over to a writing desk by one of the windows. "Don't blame yourself, Impa. Everyone must have been caught by surprise. We'll have to figure out how to make the best of this situation." She pulled the cover on the desk up and was relieved at what she saw. "Oh good, this will work nicely."

"What got left in here?" she asked, coming to check it out herself.

"Just what one would expect to find in a writing desk," she replied, checking on an inkwell there. "This is full and the cork seems tight. A quill, papers, envelopes, and, hmm…" she set the inkwell down and turned to Impa. "You noticed, didn't you? We got to meet with Link and he does seem to be moving along the path of the hero. Since I can write him from here, we can still assist him. And being able to write opens up other possibilities. I should contact the provincial leaders and warn them of what has occurred."

"Hopefully he doesn't restrict us from that," Impa said, taking a moment to look over the window. "We can't be completely sure at this point if that Link is the chosen one. He does show some signs. We'll just have to see how he handles the situation."

"I believe that he will prove himself," Zelda said. "I feel it in my heart." Then she sat down to get the letters written, not wanting to be a useless princess who could only wait to be rescued.

* * *

To Link:

I'm pleased to see that you really did take me up on this offer. And I hope you can manage to get that license. From what I've heard, there's actually no mercenaries at all. I've certainly never run into one with a legal license. But I can understand where the king is coming from there. He may be more after a good reason to arrest those who charge outrageous fees for protection services. Still, if the option is there, they really should let some people take it.

As for what I do, I'm a trader on paper. The group I usually travel with brings goods from town to town, selling them to local stores in order for them to have a better inventory. Taven in particular is good for us to pick up wood and leather crafts at, while we drop off metal tools, some glassware, pottery, and textiles. Because I'm capable in magic and can therefore defend myself, I also travel on my own sometimes, taking messages and spreading information. I would like to do that more often, but I have to take care or I'll be suspected as a spy even though I'm not exclusive about who I inform or question.

Actually, it was embarrassing for me to fall prey to a monster like I did in the Grotto. I thought I knew what I was getting into, but I didn't. So, thanks again for your assistance. Just please don't tell anyone else about that. I feel like I can trust you on that. Well, I know they said you don't talk much, but still, you don't seem like the sort who would embarrass someone else with that kind of information.

And I'm glad to share pertinent information I have with you, of course. I know the lands under Hyrule's rule decently well, what things people are talking about. For one thing, I got back with the other traders in my group and they said that the road to the Sudai province is currently blocked off by a rockslide. They said something seemed odd about it though, that guards there were insistent about them not taking an alternate route. This is the time of year when the provincial leaders either send representatives or go themselves to Hyrule Castle to give a report to the high king, so the Sudain king or representative might still be around Hyrule instead.

Well, that may be nothing. Good luck with your query.

From Gale


	4. Waterfall Trail

**Chapter 4: Waterfall Trail**

Dear Link:

I'm sorry for this sudden letter, but we're in terrible trouble. We were betrayed by some of our knights, including the captain you met with; the Sudain king Ganon has overtaken the castle. For now, I'm safe but being held captive in the prison tower. My handmaiden Impa is with me, but Ganon ordered Joachim locked into his office in order to keep doing work there. In a way, I'm glad that he finds him useful enough to keep alive. I wouldn't know what to do if I lost Joachim so soon.

While I don't know of your capabilities from first-hand experience, the Triforce of Wisdom has chosen to be with me and it shows me visions of what you've done. You rescued the horses of your hometown with the help of a friendly stranger, then went back to destroy the Moblin Shaman that was leading the other monsters in the theft. Since the Triforce with me shows great interest in you, I am certain that the Triforce of Courage must be watching over you. Each part of the whole Triforce requires the one who bears it to prove themselves worthy. I believe you can do so and gain Courage for yourself.

Remember that I asked you to look for the Medal of Valor when you go after the Zora Hunter? I was going to test you with that, but given the circumstances, I will tell you more about the three medals that act as a key to the shrine holding the Master Sword. When I felt the forces of legend stirring, I prayed until I could locate all three medals. One is in that cave, another is hidden in the Dust Devil Flats further to the west (the Zora will know a way to get there), and the third is within the depths of Death Mountain in the east (the Gorons should be able to help you there). Once you have located all three, you may find the shrine in the town of Onduran in central Hyrule.

I do not wish to draw attention to myself in sending messages, plus I cannot guarantee that I will be able to do so after this. But I will pray for you. Should I see something more that may help you, I will try to write you again. Don't worry about the license, there's no way they can enforce that law now. And please don't try to come after me before you get the Master Sword. Ganon is chosen by the Triforce of Power and is very skilled in magic. Even if you could get through his army of monsters and soldiers here, you would be incapable of winning should you come up against him.

Please take care.

From Zelda

Get the three medals, get the Master Sword, get recognized by the Triforce of Courage, then go defeat the sorcerer king who had been chosen by the Triforce of Power. Leaning against the window frame, Link closed his eyes and thought. This was well beyond the scope of what he thought he'd be doing. Maybe he was named the same as the heroes of legend, and appeared like them because that's what made the kids feel safe. But he didn't feel like he could be a hero. Those heroes were brave, selfless, and diligent. Sometimes people called him one of those things, but he certainly didn't feel like he fit into that ideal. If he could do anything, he'd rather take things easy: go fishing, take a nap in the sun, not draw a lot of attention to himself.

Some laughter from people leaving the tavern below came to him through the open window, as did the hooting of some owls. The warm spring breeze felt nice, seeming at peace. After reading Zelda's letter, it seemed strange too. Of course, he wasn't in the castle town anymore. The mountainous path up to the top of Zora Waterfall was said to be difficult, so he'd come out to this town of Narin to stay the night. It was within sight of Lake Hylia, and close to the start of the road. How long would this town stay safe and peaceful? For that matter, how long would his town be safe?

But chasing these medals wouldn't bring him anywhere near Taven. Since this town seemed oblivious so far, Link got a piece of paper in order to write Gale. If his work was in exchanging information, he'd want to know this if he didn't already.

* * *

To Gale:

That sounds like an unusual trade. Can you really make a living off that? I mean to be fair with any mercenary work, even if it means being thrifty in how I live. But that suits me. I don't see how one could make much just with information.

As for my license, I wasn't able to get one today, but it's no longer a problem. The captain of the knights tried to talk me out of it and become a knight instead. Thankfully, someone else intervened and I was able to get permission to search around from Princess Zelda, as long as I do some work for her. But sometime after I left town, the Sudain king you mentioned invaded the castle with the help of the knight captain I talked to. Ganon's imprisoned the royal family and apparently some workers there. I only found out because Zelda decided to write me; I'm in Narin right now.

I'm going to have to avoid the castle town for now, but I want to do something to help out in this situation. There is an idea that Zelda told me about, although it's of a bigger scope than I anticipated taking on when I decided to travel. But if you could help me out with things you know, it would make things a little easier. I'm heading to the town at the top of Zora's Waterfall; do you happen to know any quicker ways up there than the mountain road alongside the river? Epona should be able to make it up the path with me, but that's going to be a long trek for both of us.

From Link.

Back in the Hyrule castle library, Ganon paused in his search of the area to read through Link's letter. So that desk up in the tower room did have supplies for writing letters. And Zelda had interest in Link too, asking her to carry out some errands for her. That was fine, let her write her letters too. Ganon just had to make sure she couldn't receive any letters in return.

He had some idea of what Zelda was sending Link out to do. If she recognized him, she would be trying to guide him to his destiny as a hero. That meant getting him to acquire the Master Sword, which currently required locating three key medals to get into the shrine. Ganon didn't recognize the Zora territory as being a place where one of the medals had been left, but the princess would know better. Or, she could be trying to get him recognized by the Triforce by sending him after the powerful monsters in Lake Hylia.

After making sure no one was around, Ganon wrote up a response to send back to Link immediately. For his plan here to work, he needed this exchange to be frequent. He sent the letter off, then went back to examining the walls. There was a hidden part of the library which held the information he was really looking for. According to discrepancies in the castle map, it had to be around here. Ganon was looking for something out of place: an unusual book, a hidden switch, a faint line in the wall, specific wear on the floor that indicated a moving shelf, an illusion. There had to be a way to access this secret room.

And he had to find it so he could get his plans rolling before Link could claim the Master Sword and the Triforce.

* * *

To Link:

Thank you for telling me about what happened at the castle. I haven't heard about that yet, but I could warn my partners against going into the town market tomorrow. And that's part of why my work is so valuable. We could have lost a lot of inventory and time, even one of our own, if they'd been captured by the forces Ganon must have brought with him. More commonly, I can get a research fee from wealthy clients if I can find information they need. I was born into nobility, so I really don't have any concerns about my finances at this time.

About getting up to the top of the waterfall, there are some alternate routes but if you're bringing your horse with you, the river road merchants use is your best option. There are some tunnels in the northern mountains that can be taken for a quick passage, but it involves a lot of climbing with no way to get a horse through there. The Zoras have a method of getting up the river quickly, but you'd need to be a Zora or have one of their diving suits in order to pull it off.

Once you manage to get up there, there is a way you can get back quickly by using that pan flute you got from the Skull Kid. I use the spell form of it on occasion, only learning the song form as a curiosity. The melody I put at the top of this letter is the Song of Soaring; it will return you to a place you have been as long as you keep the place in mind while playing it. Otherwise, it will send you somewhere random if you activate its power.

There is a bit of a cheat with it too which I'm sure you can pull off. While it normally requires the caster being able to remember the place, it invokes an owl spirit. Thus, it can be used to locate and arrive by an animal that has a powerful spirit god like it, like an owl or a wolf. It will take you to a random owl or wolf if you try it that way, so I wouldn't recommend it. But there is a horse spirit that I'm sure you're aware of, due to how your village depends on horses. And you have your horse Epona that is important to you; you could use the Song of Soaring to return to wherever Epona is if you think of her instead. So don't worry about leaving her somewhere if you can't bring her along; you'll be able to return to her with this.

If you don't mind me asking, what are you headed up to the Zoras for?

From Gale

To Gale:

Thanks for that song and letting me know how to use it. It'll be very helpful.

I'm going to meet with the Zoras as a part of the first thing Zelda asked me to do, while I was still in the castle talking with her. There's a monster in the lake that's been capturing and eating Zoras lately. Because it makes its den in a cave on a cliff, they have no easy way to fight it themselves. I'm going to them first to ask more about it, as well as buy one of their diving suits because I might need it even though I'm being sent in because I can more easily climb the cliff wall.

If it were just myself, I'd only be concerned with taking down this Zora Eater. But apparently there's something called the Medal of Valor in its den that acts as a key to the shrine of the Master Sword, which might be needed to deal with this invasion. I don't know what the medal is doing in a place like that. However, this conquest can't be over with so soon and is bound to cause more trouble on everyone in Hyrule. I'd like to do what I can, if I can do what the princess is asking me to do.

Be careful out there.

From Link

To Link:

You're the one who really needs to be careful if you're going to get involved in all that. My group and I have decided to do what we can about this invasion too, even if all we can do is warn others and make sure fighters like you are well supplied. While I am decent at magic, I don't dare think to compare myself to Ganon. He's supposed to be quite the prodigy. Though, I used to hear that he was someone who cared deeply about his subjects and didn't want us to suffer through another war. Time changes all, I suppose. I just worry about how my land is going to be affected by this; I am from Sudai as well.

I've heard of that Zora Eater, but I thought the knights were supposed to take care of it. The knights must not care as much as they pretend to. While it's been attacking mostly at night, monsters like that have been known to change their hunting strategies if their prey wises up. The last waterfall up to the Zora's town is rather high, but if it manages to find a way up that, then they're in big trouble. And it can climb cliffs due to the entrance of its den, so it really needs to go.

You sure you want to go after that medal, and thus that legendary sword? It could only bring you trouble since people will expect a lot out of you if you show up armed with that. Though given what's happening, I'm sure people would appreciate a hero showing up to take care of things. I just don't think we should be relying on one person who manages to find one sword. With so many knights under Hyrule's banner, you'd think that a good number of them were actually loyal to the kingdom and will fight back.

But if you do end up going for that, I'll still help you out. It'd be an honor to be an ally of a hero of legend.

From Gale

To Gale:

Becoming a hero isn't what I meant to do. But I've been thinking it over ever since Zelda's letter showed up. The whole reason I wanted to go into mercenary work was to help people with what I'm good at. If our time needs a hero and I can help the most people that way, then I'll go ahead and be a hero. If a hero is not needed, I'll do all I can on my own. It seems like the former is the most likely case. I overheard some locals talking about how they've been having some issues with Likelikes being high in numbers this year. The case of the Zora Eater is more pressing because more people are dying from that monster, but that kind of talk is something for me to keep in mind.

Oh, and I'm sorry if I'm bugging you with sending the third letter tonight. I don't have an easy time talking to people and this has been a lot to consider. But writing out things made it easier to decide on this. If there's anything you'd like me to check on while I'm doing all this, just ask.

From Link

To Link:

Don't worry, this wasn't a bother. This all is interesting to me; it hasn't been that long that I've known you, but you're very different from the people I know. Perhaps it's because I don't know many outside of nobility or merchants. Though we should probably stop for tonight, if you have to trek up the river trail tomorrow. You should be well rested for that; there's a number of monsters in the area, although your bow will be of great use in taking them down before they get close.

From Gale

* * *

Shortly after sunrise, Link was already leading Epona out of the inn's stable to head on. There were a number of roads leading from Narin, but the northern road from town would simply lead to the northern plains of the central province. The Zora's territory was to the northeast, more north than east. A mile out of Narin, a crossing gave three roads to follow. The southern and western roads went down to Lake Hylia, with the northern one led to a steep road heading up into the mountains that encircled almost all of Hyrule's traditional boundary. From the ways her ears twitched, Link could tell Epona was alert in climbing this new road.

He was alert too, checking where monsters were to see if he should shoot them down or try avoiding them. If he was more familiar with the area, it might be easier to take smaller side trails to avoid clusters of monsters, mostly bokoblins and chus that he saw. But there were also octoroks in the water and some kind of monster bird that he occasionally saw flying overhead with the eagles. The octoroks weren't bothering him yet, but that bird worried him. It flew too far overhead to be shot down, but it was trailed by shadowy magic that marked it as different from the rest. If it decided to attack, it could be trouble.

Along the incline, there were occasional outcroppings that got close to the rapids of the river. Link looked them over, usually seeing a few monsters that could be passed by without much trouble. But as the stone arches of the Great Eastern Bridge got close, he spotted a small Zora huddled near a rugged tree. A child? Her legs looked torn even from the road, so Link guided Epona onto that outcropping and dismounted to check the child out.

She was dazed enough that she didn't notice him immediately. The wounds were most likely from last evening, but some of them seemed infected. Her skin was warm and on the dry side, like what was normal for other humanoids. For a Zora, that seemed worrisome. Link checked his bag and found a potion that could counter the infection; it'd definitely stop any pain.

As he was applying that to her legs, she lifted her head. "Uh, huh? Mister?"

"Don't worry, I can take you home," Link said softly. Or if she didn't live at the top of the waterfall, they'd know better how to care for her there. She was young enough that it shouldn't be a burden on Epona to take them both.

"What happened to the monster?" she asked, looking towards the river. "It was watching all night, I watched it."

"The sun's up," he said, although she was lucky another monster hadn't found her like this. "Can you stand up?"

She shook her head, being careful about it. "Got dizzy."

"All right." Once the potion was on, Link picked her up and carried her to sit on the front of Epona's saddle. This would make it harder to fight off monsters, but they could take a slower pace and still make it to the top well before evening. He didn't know the road well enough to try hurrying Epona along.

It got harder when the child fell asleep on him, leaning on his right arm. He could handle the reins with that hand, but he couldn't use the bow with just one hand. Perhaps if he knew magic like Gale, he could use something in case they got attacked. But once they got up to the bridge, there weren't many monsters on the road itself. Link spotted some down side paths, but the main road seemed safe enough. When it started climbing again, the way turned winding in order to have an easier grade on horses and wagons.

Approaching one turn, he found three Zoras in scaled armor. One was sitting on a rock alongside the river, his armor dripping from being underwater recently. The other two were acting as guards. "Hey, traveler, is that Sophie with you?" one of them called out.

Since they were still approaching, Link called back, "Don't know, found her by the bridge."

"She's the only one that went missing last night," the other road guard said.

"It's a miracle you found her alive," the first one said. "How is she?"

"Asleep, her wounds got infected," he replied, slowing Epona by the guards. The horse shifted her ears curiously, not nervous around the Zoras.

"You mind taking her up to town for us? I can go on foot with you to keep monsters away."

Link nodded. "That's what I mean to do."

"I'll alert the doctor," the one by the river said before he dove back in to get back quicker.

"Thank you sir," the guard staying behind said, giving him a salute.

The guard going with him kept ahead, using his fins as boomerangs to keep monsters away. If he had to fight closer, he used a spear masterfully against them. Link felt comfortable with a sword and didn't think he could handle a spear anything like that. All the while, the girl remained asleep. He could feel Sophie's breath against his arm, so he wasn't too worried about her.

When they got to Zora's Waterfall, the road went in and out of caverns. The area was carved out carefully to be even and spacious, enough for a wagon to pass through should traders come up this far. There weren't many people on the road with them, but it was the early afternoon. At the base of the waterfall, he had seen several of the Zora taking care of fish they'd caught. Others might be working elsewhere, especially down at Lake Hylia now that the sun kept the Zora Eater away.

At the top, they passed through a beautifully tiled hallway into a town that lay mostly within the deep spring that fed the river. There were a few Zora waiting there for them, including the girl's parents. "Oh, Sophie, is she alive?" her mother asked, coming over.

"Yes, but she's sick," Link said, letting go of Epona's reins after silently telling her to keep still. He kept his right arm around Sophie while putting his left under her legs in order to pass her down to her father.

"At least she's back with us," her father said, stepping back so the doctor could check on her. "Thank you, sir, for bringing her back home."

"I hope she gets better soon," Link said, dismounting there.

"Did you treat her in any way?" the doctor asked, checking her general symptoms before looking at her legs.

"I put an antibacterial lotion on the wounds," he said, getting out the container for that so he could see.

"Hmm, that will help out," he said. "Let's get her back to the clinic, there's something I must do right away."

As they hurried off, the guard turned to him. "We don't keep horses, but the inn right there does have a stable with a pasture for travelers like you, in case you still had some business here."

He nodded. "I was sent here by Princess Zelda to slay the Zora Eater monster. Is there someone around I can ask for more details on it?"

The guard stared at him in surprise a moment, his arm fins twitching. "You... really, that's why you're here?" When he confirmed that, the guard bowed. "That's wonderful, we'd just about given up on getting help from the castle on that monster. Good to know that we can still count on the princess. I'd tell you what I know, but I really should get back to my position since I'm on duty. If you can find a guard who's off-duty, they can tell you what we know. Or you could ask Rosso, he's the only one, well aside from Sophie now, who's managed to survive a battle with it. But, he lost an arm in doing so. It's really dangerous to tangle with. Good luck."

After giving the guard a respectful wave, he led Epona over to the inn to get a room and stable pen rented. The Zora actually had a nice little meadow there for her, full of vibrant grass and fenced in with wards against monsters. There was even a small waterfall and pool in one corner from a higher spring, giving her a good place to drink. Figuring that he wouldn't take her back down to Lake Hylia to fight the Zora Eater, Link took off her gear to store in the stable. She should be happy in this pasture for a few days.

Now he either had to find an off-duty guard who'd likely not be in their armor or a one-armed Zora. Link could tell there were small differences between them, but finding Rosso would probably be the easiest method for him. The innkeeper said that he'd been trying to regain some swimming ability, so he was most likely at one of the smaller springs in the area. While Link knew how to swim, he tried walking around the town first. He took note of where their shop above the water was, then searched up smaller streams and rocky paths.

This eventually brought him to the overhang right above the inn's pasture. There was just one Zora up there, but he was the one he was looking for. Keeping to the surface, Rosso was working on swimming across the pool of water. He seemed to be doing fine, as he swam straight over once Link waved to him. "You're the one who came in with the lost girl, aren't you?" the Zora asked.

Link nodded, crouched on the stones around the water. "I need to talk with you about the Zora Eater. I'm here to slay it."

Skeptical, Rosso frowned. "Are you now? That's a foolish task; can you even fight in the water?" He hit the surface with his one hand. "I was considered the best fighter among us. Even so, I barely got away with my life and now have to relearn every motion thanks to trying that battle. Maybe it won't try to eat you as a Hylian, or maybe it will. Either way, you could end up just as defeated as me. Are you sure you want to go after it?"

He nodded again. "Someone has to."

Rosso snorted and looked away, but it did turn into a small laugh. "You talk serious for a fool. Then again, I don't think any of the others around here have the guts you or I do. Fine, you'd better know what you're really getting into." There was an incline in and out of the spring a few feet over, but he preferred pulling himself out. "You must have had a long ride; have you had lunch yet? We can go get something to eat while we talk."

Although he didn't seem to be a guard anymore, the Zoras still treated Rosso with respect as they walked through town to a restaurant around the main spring. The waitress there even addressed him as captain and brought them to a table with a good view over the water. Every dish they offered was fish-based, some Link was familiar with and some he'd not been able to try for himself. He got some poached river trout, since he wasn't sure how to poach fish himself. Rosso simply asked for his usual, getting a traditional dish with fish, kimchi, and rice.

"First thing you've got to realize is that there's more than one," Rosso said while they were waiting on their meals. "We've only ever run into one at a time, but they have different glow lines on their bodies: yellow, red, and blue. Since we weren't sure if it was one changing color or not, we asked a few different people who could investigate with magic. They all agreed there are three of them, and they nest in that cave on the cliff that we can't reach. So even if you do manage to kill one, which is a feat by itself, there's two others who'll keep threatening us."

"If I can beat one, I can beat the other two," Link said.

"True," he said with a shrug. "Beating them is the problem. Our spears can't pierce their hides, so your sword won't do much good either. If we're lucky, it'll have an eye open that can be stabbed. They keep them closed most of the time since they don't rely on sight."

"What kind of monster are they?" he asked, since that would be important to figuring out how to beat them.

"Giant squid," Rosso said. "It's a mystery how they got into Lake Hylia. I suppose they could have come up the river, but such creatures usually don't come this far inland. Also, they have been seen coming out of the lake and climbing the cliffs there. That's highly unusual for natural squid, plus they don't have the qualities or behaviors of Octoroks. We suspect that someone managed to summon them there. Without any evidence that we can find, we can't figure out who did so. There's probably something in that cave, so keep an eye out."

Link nodded. So these were tough creatures, probably quick in the water. And they had to be strong in order to take Rosso's arm from him. Unless it was a poison. "How did it take your arm?"

"It completely crushed the bones of my upper arm and elbow with a tentacle," he said, touching his shoulder. "Then some kind of digestive acid ate away at the skin and the doctor had to cut it off entirely." Rosso bowed his head. "I hope that girl doesn't have to lose her legs."

"I didn't see anything like that," Link said, although the infection was worrisome.

"There is a good possibility on how to defeat them, as long as you can avoid being grabbed," Rosso said, looking back up at him. "There are some monsters that have long been in Lake Hylia called Bomb Fish. They're exactly what they sound like, hiding like fish until you come close, then they explode like bombs. If you're quick, they can be triggered and taken a short distance to bomb obstacles or other monsters. I managed to get a Bomb Fish to swim at the Zora Eater; it grabbed the fish and swallowed it, then got stunned when it exploded. I didn't have any underwater bombs at the time, so I tried to get it to swallow another. Unfortunately, it outmaneuvered me once it recovered, before I could find another Bomb Fish."

Underwater bombs... he didn't have a bag for bombs yet. And they needed a separate bag to ensure that they didn't go off accidentally "Would the store here have a bomb bag and the underwater bombs?"

"Your bravery is good but don't let that get you killed," Rosso scolded him. "Yes, they do. But let me buy those for you in thanks for getting the girl back here; I'd rather her parents save their money towards getting her healed up. You'll have to get diving gear yourself, though." He also paid for the lunch, so Link was sure Rosso was more grateful than he let on.

* * *

To Gale:

We are very different when you put it that way. My father was a lumberjack and my mother was an herbalist back in Taven, but they got recruited into the Hylian army when I was young. Due to that, I've spent most of my life at St. Saria's Orphanage there. Gregio settled there in Taven to help out and taught several of us how to live like an honorable swordsman. Although, I'm the only one who focused on that rather than choose another career.

I've made it up to the Zoras and have found two who managed to escape the Eater. One was a lost girl that I found alongside the road; she's been badly hurt and will take some time to recover, but she'll live. When she had a few minutes alert, she told her parents that she'd kicked the monster in the open eye, which caused it to throw her out of the river where I found her. The other survivor used to be the guard for the Zora queen and he lost an arm trying to fight it off. He said that there's actually three of them and they seem to be vulnerable to bombs.

Since I mean to take care of all three, I've spent a few hours practicing swimming and underwater combat with the Zora guards. They were surprised at how quickly I adapted, saying that I was a natural. But it was like that bow you helped me pick up in the Grotto. I've never swam like that before, but I have dreams that helped me recall a skill I don't have. Actually, I think I'm having dreams of the heroes of legend. I had thought that maybe it was just because I liked the stories, but if I can impress Zoras in fighting underwater when they're not holding back, on the first day I ever put on a diving suit, maybe I really am connected to them already.

I'm going to attempt going after the Zora Eaters tonight. I've got a good stock of underwater bombs now and I can dash for short bursts while swimming underwater, so I can keep out of their grasp. As only one has been seen at a time, only one should come out to hunt tonight. I can take care of that one, then get into their den after the other two. For now, I'm resting so I can be in good shape for fighting at night.

How are things looking where you're at?

From Link

"I wanted those Zora Eaters to last longer and decimate those people," Ganon said, pausing in his study to consider the letter.

Just as he'd thought, there was a hidden part of the library that held books the Hylian royalty did not want anyone else to find. There were more detailed and accurate accounts of past wars, more analytical writings about the patterns in legends, and reports on many magical artifacts. They even had the gall to hide these writings further behind rolling shelves, while rare but unimportant books were more easily found around the secret entrance. Since there was a table and chair in here, Ganon had the references he wanted stacked around him.

He got up and went to a map that was hanging on the wall here. The Zora could be useful if controlled. However, they were at their best around water. On the grassy plains or in the volcanic area to the east, they would be little good. But having them as an enemy on lands with rivers and lakes, such as in the west or even in Sudai's swamps, would make them a complete pain in trying to hold that area. By reducing their numbers, he could take Lake Hylia and Zora Waterfall to make sure they didn't try to cut off the water supply to the castle.

Of course, he could just replace all of his human followers with monsters who didn't need food or water to exist. It would take a lot longer for a lack of water to weaken the lot of them. But he wanted some of the humans around for his next big move, to spread word of what he was doing. It'd be no good if the only witnesses died then. Besides, water wasn't a big concern here.

He heard the boots of a soldier coming up, so he folded up the letter and tucked it into the pocket of his cloak. The soldier knocked, quickly saluting on seeing that he was there. "Your majesty, if I may?"

"What do you have to report?" Ganon asked, keeping his eyes on the map.

"We've secured Onduran, Narin, and Fiolus," he said. Those were the three smaller towns in central Hyrule. While he'd had to delay the Narin group to give Link the time to leave, that town had never been a big worry in capturing. "Although the Zoras have already gotten word of us and have closed off the northern canal. Also, a great many of the townspeople here in the capitol have gone missing."

"Killed?" he asked. Zelda must have tipped off the Zoras too.

"No sir," the soldier said. "They've simply disappeared from their homes, taking a few things with them. We suspect there's some hidden route they're escaping through. If we could find whoever is directing them..."

"That won't be necessary," Ganon said. The person most likely to be directing them was Joachim, but it didn't bother him. "If they want to flee, let them. We'll want to drive out those we can't count on eventually to turn this place into a fortress."

"But with the water supply closing off," he started to say, uneasy with the situation.

"We'll be fine," he said, still looking over the map. "The northern canal is simply a means to bring peace of mind to the townspeople. This castle is designed to be closed up entirely, including the canal doors, and remain self-sufficient indefinitely. By losing the burden of the townspeople, our position is further secured. I now have the entire plans of the castle; we'll be fine."

"Thank you, sir," the solider said, bowing to him. "I should have been more faithful; you really do think of everything."

"Is there anything more to report?" When the soldier shook his head, he waved him off. "Back to your regular duties, then."

"Yes, your majesty."

That would be something he wouldn't get with just a monster army, Ganon reflected. Although he'd get more accurate reports if he used certain intelligent monsters as spies, as most monsters had no will of their own. They wouldn't have the earnestness or awe of the human soldiers. Besides, the humans were an important reminder to him. They were a connection to his own humanity. Without them, the darker voices of his soul would be louder. He might become more powerful or have a greater deal of insight from past lives if he turned to that darkness fully. But it was clear that doing that would be playing right into fate's hand.

That was important to keep in mind. At the moment, though, he needed to reply to Link. Reading that he had powerful dreams of the past, he could see things a little clearer. It was an important piece to this mystery. The things that past heroes did were incredible, almost unbelievable. Skills such as archery, music, magic, swordsmanship, and more should take years to learn. But if that knowledge trickled along from hero to hero, it made a lot more sense of how they could pick up a new weapon and use it like a master. This Link had experience that he had not lived through himself because he had inherited it.

With that inherited knowledge, he was perfectly capable of destroying the Zora Eaters. He was a little under-equipped for such a battle. The bow would be useless underwater and even if he could use the sword, the Zora Eaters were covered in thick rubbery skin save for useless eyes and toothy mouths. With the scale armor from a Zora diving suit, he should be decently but not fully defended. And the pan flute was utter nonsense underwater. The only useful item he had were those underwater bombs. Yet, Ganon was still certain that Link could win this.

But that was because he knew a lot more than he could let on. His response had to reflect a lesser knowledge. Not only that, it had to make progress on this facet of his overall plan. What to say?


	5. Den of the Zora Eater

**Chapter 5: Den of the Zora Eater**

To Link:

Part of my mind wants to ask if you are insane for coming up with this plan. The Zoras are renown for being masters of combat in water and they can't handle these Zora Eaters. How can you expect to do any better when you have only just started? Especially if there's three of them. You're going right into their home territory, where they're going to be at their best. If I had the means to fight them, I'd certainly go for luring them out of the water instead.

And yet I can't help but admire the kind of bravery and tenacity it takes to take the fight to them. Our world is full of monsters born of magic, so one would think that most people would learn to fight back in order to make the best of their lives. But I am continually disappointed in how few will actually put aside fear and step up to the task. The most common monsters near towns aren't even that strong. Yet even the Zora, who don't mind driving off monsters in their rivers and lakes, won't come out of the water to fight most of the time.

You'd better write me back once you take care of those monsters; I'll be worried about you much too long otherwise. And I am worried about you doing this, even if I have a feeling that you might be able to pull this off. Especially if you inherited the legacy of the heroes. Again, I'm not sure if it's entirely possible. You don't have proof of this; a hero of legend would be marked by the Triforce of Courage, or be able to fully utilize the power of the Master Sword. But I've seen for myself that you have potential for this. Otherwise, you wouldn't be such a crack shot or be able to even consider pursuing the Zora Eaters underwater.

Whatever the truth ends up being, I'd still like to be considered your friend. As for myself, someone asked me a question that caused a lot of thought, so I've left off traveling around for a while to do some studying. It may end up helping you out too, plus the place I'm at is safe for the moment. That also means that I have a better chance of responding to you quickly, so write as often as you like.

From Gale

Link read back over the letter, feeling glad Gale decided to believe in him. He could understand how others would be worried; he couldn't say that he wasn't worried about this. However, anyone would be danger doing this and it had to be done. Link folded up the letter and put it in his bag with the others. He should find something better to put them in when he had some time.

Since this inn was made by the Zoras, there was a nautical theme to it. The blues, greens, and browns on everything along with the thin curtains made it seem like the building was underwater. The furniture was made of speckled driftwood decorated with various shells. It was quite nice, a good place to relax and focus his mind before heading out. According to the clock on the wall, it was almost one in the morning. That was the time he'd chosen. After a quick check that he had everything in place, he left the room and locked the door.

The town was still, only the water moving towards the falls. Many of the buildings were dark as well, allowing the stars to sparkle strongly. Without the moon showing, his vision was limited. But that could help. He did have to make sure he could be heard walking to the waterfall, as there was a group of five Zora guards there. They had a shield of metal spikes across the top of the waterfall, a barrier to the Zora Eater getting into the town.

"Oh, it's you," one of the Zora guards said, nodding to him. "The creature has come all the way up the river tonight. Come over, you can see it from up here."

At the edge, there was a drop off right over the surface of the pool below. The waterfall filled the air with pale mist and the darkness hid the bottom. The blue magic boosters that let the Zora go straight up the falls were gone as a precaution. But even in the misty darkness, red light could be seen moving about. A single large point moved in straight paths, then was surrounded by racing light patterns. As it was very bright even up here, that glow should be visible even across the depths of Lake Hylia.

"We shouldn't stay here at the edge too long," the guard said while Link was recalling the landscape below. "Last night, it fired lightning bolts up here, which is how it knocked the girl down to take her."

"What color was it?" Link asked.

"Huh? Well," he put a finned hand to his chin, trying to recall it.

"It was yellow," another guard answered.

This was a different one, then. Still quite strong to be able to send a spell that far and this one might be able to do other things. There had been some rock pillars standing out of the water, but he was pretty sure none of them were near this spot. Although he'd already checked, Link patted his hip where he was keeping the bomb bag. He only had underwater bombs, twenty of them. That should be plenty and he might be able to pick some up on the way to the den. If he did, it might be good proof that the Triforce of Courage was watching him.

"We didn't hear any reports of it shooting lightning before," the guard near him said. "We just hope they don't suddenly gain the ability to leap up the waterfall or something."

He thought for a moment of telling them that he meant to do away with them tonight, but better not get their hopes up. Something might pop up to complicate the situation. But he wanted this to be the time. Down below, the red light was close to base of the falls. It stayed there a moment, then zipped aside with a flash of its patterns. Before any of the guards there realized what he meant to do, Link dove right off the cliff into the waterfall pool before. He briefly heard a yell of surprise, but that didn't matter.

Knowing it was going to be to his right, Link got out a bomb as he fell and activated it. He hit the cool water, dropped the bomb, then darted over to the left. He had to rely on his memory of that afternoon to not hit the rock wall in doing so… he only touched a hand there to brace himself in stopping. There was a rumbling roar of pain close by, a thrashing of red glow. Just what he wanted, it to swallow the bomb. According to Rosso, their eyes had a glow too. Link didn't see anything like that, so he dashed towards the center of the pool.

The red glow of the Zora Eater rushed for him as he turned to check. Without much light, he could only see that and some motions in the darkness. Link activated the next bomb, lingering by it until the glow was some twenty paces from him. Taking off in the same direction it was going, he got the Zora Eater to grab the bomb and swallow it instead.

A panicky spread of fire exploded into the water, causing bubbles of steam to cloud upwards. Once the monster calmed down, it stayed in the center and sent strings of fire after him. The fire didn't last long and was slowed by the water; perhaps this was the weakest of the group for having that fire. This could be a problem when he met the yellow one and its electricity. For now, this Zora Eater wasn't coming after him anymore.

If he could stay still where he was, it might be worth it to see if it was sensing him by motions in the water. But he'd sink that way and the ground below was uneven. Instead, Link had to grab a bomb and swim towards the Zora Eater. It paused in its fire casting, giving him barely enough time to activate the bomb and let it go before a tentacle brushed by and nearly grabbed him instead. A few feet away, he heard the bomb's explosion. But it was chasing him now, so he dropped another bomb behind him.

This one worked, killing it and releasing a powerful burst of magic. For a moment, Link tumbled in the water and had to curl up in case he crashed into something. As the water calmed, he checked a loose band on his wrist. It was there to let non-Zoras like himself figure out which way was up while underwater. The small bobble on it was almost to his left, so he corrected his position to swim up.

As he surfaced, he heard three of the Zoras dive in the water close to the falls. Link had no way to tell where they were after that, but he was sure they could find him. He swam over to a pulsing red glow that had floated to the surface as well. This magical orb was all that was left of this Zora Eater. Could it revive itself? Maybe Gale would know.

The Zora guards surfaced near him. "You actually defeated it?" one of them asked. "That was amazing!"

"I thought you were crazy for going right after it," another said.

The third one had gone over to the orb. "It may be defeated, but this might revive it," she said. "If we had something like the Master Sword, its holy power could shatter the orb so it couldn't. But our queen should have the power to do the same."

"Can we get it over to her?"

"There's two more," Link said, not wanting to waste time. "I'm going to their den after them."

"Down the river in the dark?" one asked him, as if that was as shocking as his dive into battle.

Meanwhile, the female guard had cast a spell like a net around the orb. With that, she was able to tug it around. "If he can handle them, we may as well try to get rid of them all. These orbs should take some time to revive them, so as long as the underwater passageway gets cleared, we'll be able to bring the orbs of the other two back to the queen to take care of."

"I've got a lamp with me," another said, taking it from a pouch to attach to a loop on his armor. "We'll guide you down the river and to where the den's upper entrance is. I only have a few bombs, not sure if it's enough to clear the whole entrance."

"I'm stocked up with plenty," the other male said. He shook his head, nervous. "Well, I still think this is crazy, but now that we know we can defeat them, we'll go for it."

The female swam back a couple feet, the orb following her. "I'll find a place to secure this, then join you at the lake. Good luck, hero."

Link nodded, then moved towards the river. The two male guards went back underwater, leaving him to follow the lantern into the watery dark. As he didn't feel worried about the swimming, Link thought it was a thrilling trip down the rapids even though he couldn't see much of anything. The water rushed around him, sometimes speeding along his dashes, sometimes being an obstacle when the lantern went against the flow to get to another path in the river. It might even be better this night because he was focused more on his motions through the water rather than anything visual but the small light ahead.

When they got to the lake, more spots of light in a soft blue appeared. They were stationary, meant to guide swimmers out at night. As they passed by one, he saw that they were made of a glowing crystal that was secured to stone posts. There were even a few signs showing where the river mouth and three different docks were located. They didn't state where the den of the Zora Eater was; his guides went into a darkened area of the lake to get there.

He managed to spot the faint glow of a broken lamppost when the two guards surfaced near a rock wall. Link followed them up to an enormous cliff that he couldn't see the top of on this dark night. Close by, there was a cluster of rocks that jutted out into the water, enough for him to climb onto. Twenty feet over that, there were a few of those glowing crystals within an opening of the cliff.

"This is the place," one of the guards said. "There should be more of the crystals inside, so the lighting shouldn't be a problem."

"We'll be working on the underwater tunnel, so we might throw in a few more bombs if we have some left over," the other said.

Link nodded and waved to them while they dove back underwater. Then he took off the pants of the diving suit to get his boots back on. The gloves were fine, but the flippers on the feet would make it hard to climb. With that in his bag, he looked over the wall to find a few good points to grip. The rocks were pocked with good-sized indents. Since they were squid, was this the doing of the Zora Eaters when they clambered in and out of this entrance? Whatever it was, it made a good surface for him to climb up on his own.

Up in the entrance, he saw more of the glowering crystals scattered along the wall, in all kinds of colors and intensities. A soft chime momentarily startled him until he realized it was from his bag; apparently the magical compass detected this as a place of magic. There was a dark area deeper in, down a long slope. Perhaps he should find a way to get one of the crystals out of the wall to take with him. There was a bright yellow one ten feet in, so he walked carefully down the slope and put a hand on it. As the crystal was magic, it didn't seem any warmer than the surrounding area. There was no looseness to it, unfortunately.

There was a smooth sound ahead, a sliding slither. He checked the tunnel again, spotting a round yellow glow within the dark area. With another slither, it shot forward with a shimmer of yellow lines around it. What was the Zora Eater doing trying to come out this far into the night? Maybe it had sensed the death of the red one. Then what of the third? For a moment, a gold eye opened up, adding its glow to the darkness.

That was the one who'd kidnapped the Zora girl and reacted badly to getting its eye kicked. Without hesitation, Link got his bow and an arrow out of his bag. The Zora Eater had closed its eye again by the time he was ready, so he waited by the wall. It was not as quick in getting through this tunnel, only making a few feet before having to pause. After three slithers, he saw the crack of gold appear and fired straight at it.

In this enclosed tunnel, its screams of pain were grating on Link's ears. He winced and there was a flicker of white. His body automatically went into a dodge roll right before a jolt of lightning tore through the spot he'd been standing. Not having the time to think on it, he got back to his feet, getting another arrow from his bag while he ran down the slope and to the other wall. The Zora Eater's glows were flickering wildly as it used more lightning, still aiming for the other wall.

But it was even worse about trying to descend backwards through the tunnel; he could hear it thrashing against the walls, feel its struggle shaking the ground. The rocks and crystals cracked, tumbling down and scattering along the floor. Link had to dodge around them all by instinct while he kept the arrow ready in his bow. All he needed was a chance... there, a second crack of gold to fire at.

This scream was a death kneel, filling the tunnel with dust and magic as it turned to smoke. And a more powerful glow came from below, showing the ripples of a water shaft and a much larger magic crystal. When he made it down to where the yellow orb was floating, the area had mostly settled down from the shocks. There was a flicker of blue in a dark spot in the shaft, then it dove down rapidly, disturbing the water's surface again.

Since it was staying below, Link got his boots back off so he could have the full diving suit again. He went up to the water's edge, stopping there to check down before entering. The blue one moved about, its form dark within the crystal-lit water. Even with the illumination, he wasn't sure just how large this pit of water was. It must spread out further down as the Zora Eater briefly moved out of his vision. Perhaps it was even larger than the waterfall pool. Link waited until it was back in sight, then dove down after it.

The water here was different, warm and still at first. The Zora Eater spun about, then opened its tentacles up and pulled on the water powerfully. Link lost control of his swimming, but he was focused on getting this done. He got out a bomb and tried to dash away while the explosive was drawn in by the tide of the Zora Eater. As it screamed, he ended up drifting away as the tide ended. He turned himself so that he could catch himself with his legs rather than crashing into the wall.

The pained scream turned into a deafening rush of a whirlpool that ripped him away and smacked his back into another part of the shaft's wall before pulling him in. Gritting his teeth, Link tried to spot it again and ignore the dizzying swirl of lights around them. There were some blues in there, too light, too dark, too faint... he caught a quick flash of the unnatural blue against a muddled black surface, swimming against the whirlpool's currents. It slowed and reversed to keep pace while he got out another bomb. When one tentacle started a grab for him, just a blink, Link let go of the active bomb and dashed ahead alongside the whirlpool.

As it screamed again, his motions with the current managed to shoot him out of the whirlpool and towards the stunned Zora Eater. He could dive down further to keep safe. But he'd hit the wall hard and letting this go on for too long could be the end of him. So Link shifted his flippers and arms so that he went right for the Zora Eater's body and gabbed hold.

The giant monster squid panicked, increasing the ferocity of the whirlpool by zooming around it in an attempt to shake him off. Link held on to a ridge he found, his ears ringing and his head throbbing from all the noise and pressure around him. After nearly a minute of this, the Zora Eater crashed full force into the wall. Its golden eye opened up near him, as large as a wagon wheel. Link drew his sword quicker than ever, slashing it across the eye and cutting through its eyelid on the motion. And to make sure it died, he then stabbed it; the eye gave no more resistance than an overripe fruit.

The whirlpool had lost power upon the crash, now just a weak spin accompanied by the tremors of released magic. With the splitting headache he had, Link felt glad that the blue one was the last one. He checked around just in case there was some smaller enemy he'd missed up to now. The glowing crystals were huge here, especially the cluster right at the bottom. With all that light, it seemed the area was clear. Although in an open spot near the bottom, a flickering spot sent a ray of magic up like a beacon.

Putting aside his pains, Link swam down to check it out. He spotted a crumbled part of the wall on his way. Guessing it was the underwater entrance, he continued down. The beacon brought him to the sandy bottom. Crushed bits of crystal and rock made for a sparkling rainbow of colors down here. Among it all, there was a curved bit of metal sticking out. Link picked it up and looked over the small medal. It could fit in his palm easily. However long it had been down here, it was still whole and without rust. The back of it had a pin and a jagged starry shape, while the front held the symbol of Farore.

When he put a finger on the symbol, the medal flashed.

This wasn't even his homeland, but that made him no less determined to save it. Dancing in a volcanic underground, sailing with long-dead pirates out of a sea of sand to reach the sea of water, exploring with a rod that gave him control of the seasons themselves... after all that, here was this powerful shadowy figure in spiked armor, wielding a mace larger than Link with ease. He could lose his life here, but he couldn't let himself be afraid. To save these people from the evil they could not fight themselves, he had to put everything else out of mind and focus solely on the battle.

The vision briefly disoriented Link, leading him to wonder why he was in an underwater cave rather than an ominous castle. Holodrum, Subrosia... that was another legend, one of the tangents that didn't take place in Hyrule. In his hand, the Medal of Valor shimmered. Refreshing magic surrounded and filled him, easing his pains and healing him back to normal. He knew from that feeling that the medal had accepted him as worthy of it.

As he felt better, he swam over to the weak point in the wall to check it out. The Zoras must not have made it this far in yet. Link had plenty of bombs left, so he took a few and set them in the rubble, one at a time. After four of them, enough of the rocks had tumbled out that the glow of crystals beyond it could be seen. One of the Zoras waved him to keep back, then set the last bomb in place. With that way cleared, Link pointed them towards the orb in the water and the one back in the tunnel for them to be retrieved. They didn't get a chance to speak then or on the trip back up the river to get the orbs taken care of.

Once back at the waterfall pool, they came out onto a dock at the edge of the road upward; the ascent rings hadn't been put back in place yet. "I almost can't believe this, they're all gone now!" one of the men said excitedly.

"That was a wonderful job, thank you," the woman said, bowing and causing the other two to bow as well. "Go on back to your room at the inn, we'll take care of things from here. Oh, but please stick around, I'm sure everyone else will want to thank you too, especially the queen."

"I need to find a way to the Dust Devil Flats with them taken care of," Link said. With the healing he'd gotten, he didn't feel tired or worn out any more.

"That place?" the other man said. "It's a cursed region where no life can take hold, save for monsters which have no true life. They say the mountain range here that's west of Lake Hylia was raised by the gods to cut it off from Hyrule; you really don't want to go there."

"There's been treasure hunters and adventurers who try going out there from time to time," the first Zora man said. "We even made a waterway out there one time to try supporting an oasis base for them. But so many of them failed to find anything or died that it got gated shut."

"I have to go out there, for one of the keys to the Master Sword's shrine," Link explained.

"Did the princess say it was out there?" the woman asked. When he nodded, she said, "Huh, well, you'll have to wait for someone with the right keys to unlock the gate." That made her smile again. "So you'll have to stay around anyhow."

"All right," he said, although he didn't look forward to all the attention. "Thanks for your help."

"You don't have to be humble, we didn't do much," one of the men said.

After some thought on the walk back up, Link went back to the inn, mostly to drop off his diving suit and write a letter to Gale. He ended up writing a longer letter than he meant to in order to tell him how the battles went. It was still dark when he sent it off and he wasn't tired enough to sleep again. Instead, he went out to an upper part of town and practiced the quick draw move he'd done. It had come to his actions without thought when he was in battle. But now that he was in practice in a quiet place, Link wasn't sure how he'd done it.

But he had done it. Maybe if he just didn't let himself think. It would be nice to have a move that could damage as he was getting his sword out, in case he was surprised or needed to surprise. As he tried to go through that motion again, he recalled the howling of a wolf. A strange howling... wait, wasn't that a song? Link put his sword back in its scabbard and brought out his pan flute instead. That song had been howled, but he felt sure he could translate the notes.

When he got that song right, he felt a tingle in his skin. That was Zelda's Lullaby. Did this one know the song too? That question got blurred out of his mind as he remembered a spiritual place, a Stalfos that was his new sword master... and he was the Stalfos too, a wandering soul that kept trying to find home. Home... a child's treehouse where the wind held the scent of a magical forest, a cottage on a small rise where he lived with his uncle and then it got taken over by a strange traveler in a purple bunny hood (no wait, that was a different story), somewhere far away that he wondered about when looking up at the night sky...

Then the feeling was gone, leaving him in this spring night where the roar of Zora's Waterfall could be heard. Things seemed colder than before, or maybe it was just a lingering chill of those memories. There was something lonely about those images, a mix of restlessness and homesickness. A movement of white caught his eye, which turned out to be Gale's envelope. He'd already written back, well before dawn? Link took it out of the air, then found a rock to sit on to read through it.

To Link:

Are you seriously more worried about telling the Zoras what happened than actually going through with all that? That seems strange to me since the Zora Eaters could have outright killed you at any point of that. Surely there would be no threat from the Zoras with what you've done for them. Humility can be good, but not when it's too much.

At least you got through it all relatively unscathed. I wish I could be there in person to tell you to not worry so much about talking. I can tell you're telling the truth (sorry, I cast a detection spell on your letter since there was some doubt, but it came back with not a lie in it). Although, I also wish I could have seen all that in person. You're off to an incredible adventure already. It must have been so awe-inspiring to see you not hesitate in jumping right in, plus I already know your swordsplay is graceful and admirable. Well, there wasn't much of that, but if you can swim like you can swing a sword, I might be tempted to watch you more than the Zoras even if they're trying to show off.

Even if you don't sound the greatest, I'm sure no one will care if you keep going like this. Although I disagree with that sentiment, I thought your voice was very pleasant to listen to and it makes me want to come out and talk with you more.

From Gale

Did he really think all that? It looked like more than friendly admiration there. Was it just because it was only words? The letter was enough to make Link briefly forget about the emotional visions, mostly because it reminded him that he had thought Gale was a handsome stranger when he'd first come into the stable with his horse. He'd been a bit stern, dismissive of those he saw as cowards. But, he didn't seem so bad in the letters.

Although, he shouldn't let himself get carried away. Link put his hand to his chin, nodding to himself. He might be misinterpreting things. Or, maybe Gale hadn't been thinking clearly when writing. There was still at least an hour to dawn. Link managed to find some blank paper and a pencil in his bag to write out a response. Ask him what he was up to at this hour, what he meant by that letter... that worked.

Link sent it off, then went back to figuring out the quick draw move. When he put his hand on his sword, his thoughts briefly turned back to that Stalfos sword master. This had to be done when the enemy was very near. He then repeated the quick draw he had done against the blue Zora Eater in what looked like good form. To check it out, he went back out to the road briefly to find a Bokoblin for target practice.

* * *

To Gale:

That letter was a surprise. I wasn't expecting a response before dawn; the main reason I wrote when I did was because you wanted a letter as soon as I had completed that task. Did I wake you up? If so, I'm sorry about that. If not, then what are you doing up well before morning? The Medal of Valor gave me an energy boost, so I came out to do some practice while things are quiet.

And yes, it is more intimidating to me to be talking to a group of people (or someone as important as the Zora queen, who will want to talk to me today) than to be fighting something like the Zora Eaters. I had a plan for the latter and when I'm actually in battle, I'm not thinking enough to be afraid. Maybe you don't feel it as much because your magic allows you to keep at a distance until you can overwhelm them with your swords, but when I fight, I have to rely on split-second reactions to survive.

Especially with something like those Zora Eaters. Those monsters were powerful, able to crush bones and cast what must be difficult spells. After all, how else could that one make fireballs underwater? And when I faced the yellow one, there was a moment when just a single flicker was all the warning I had for a bolt of lightning coming right for me. When faced with that, I just kept moving, focused on my goal of defeating them.

But talking to people, no, that's far more nerve wracking. If I die in battle, well that's it, nothing more. If I flub in saying something, or say something I didn't mean to, then the person I'm talking to will think less of me and that could affect me whenever I have to deal with them. And I tend to remember my mistakes in talking and get embarrassed about it again later. I'm trying to have something prepared in mind for what questions they might have of me later this morning, and be careful with what I'm saying.

Also, were you half-asleep or did you really mean what you were writing? The letter came across rather strongly. While I appreciate that you're trying to encourage me, some of it seemed on the flirtatious side. I'm not bothered if that's what you meant, but I'd rather we ended up not confusing each other in that way.

From Link

Reading this made Ganon wonder if other heroes had this kind of quibble about speech. Nearly all stories said they'd been quiet, so he'd figured them to be silent stoic sorts who let their actions speak for them. Perhaps forcing them into a position of leading others would be more useful than letting them continue their work alone. If this Link found himself having to lead a group through some task, he'd more likely fail than if he had to go through it alone. Or if he had to get through something by talking to a lot of different people. Ganon started to have some inkling ideas of how he might make that happen.

As for the flirtations, it seemed like he'd gone too far with the last letter. It wasn't something Ganon was really knowledgeable about. Romance had been such a tiny factor in his own incarnations that he couldn't think of anyone he'd tried this with before. Maybe he didn't remember enough yet. Maybe it had happened in unimportant parts of his young days, before he really began seeking out power. At least Link wasn't shutting him off right away.

He gave it some serious thought, then wrote up a reply as if he was embarrassed but trying to keep his attention. Ganon then set it aside for a few hours while he continued his studies. With the help of the Triforce of Power, he didn't need as much sleep as others. Around mid-morning, he checked back on the letter, then sent it off.

* * *

To Link:

Now you have me all nervous again; what did I write last? I'm sorry, I just got worried about you and couldn't sleep, so I stayed up to do some studying instead. When I start reading, I find it really hard to stop and I didn't realize how late it was getting to be until your letter finally arrived. There's been plenty of times when I've fallen asleep in the middle of reading and I end up dreaming about whatever I read, no matter what the subject was.

There's a lot of banter in my mind over what to do, but I'll go ahead and tell you. After I wrote that letter, I did end up falling right asleep. And, I ended up dreaming about you. Maybe just because I couldn't stop worrying about you facing those monsters the way you were planning. Or it might have been a combination of the way you wrote about your battles and whatever I ended up writing back when I was worn out from a long day. So I'm sorry if I was strange in what I wrote then.

I didn't really think much over what I was feeling about you. I have so many people that I know only for business and intelligence reasons that making a friend separate of all that is a joy. But after how worried I got yesterday and that dream I have, and your questions, I realized that I do feel more strongly about you than I should for someone I only interacted with directly for one day. So I probably meant a lot of what I wrote even though my mind wasn't up to putting together a fully coherent letter.

While some part of me knows I should be more careful, I would like to be open and, yes, even a bit flirty with you. I hope you really don't mind that. I was only looking for a pen pal with this, but your spirit is more exciting than others. This could be a wonderful exchange.

From Gale

This was not what he had been expecting of this either, but Link agreed that this could be a wonderful thing. He wasn't sure how to respond even if he was happy about it. Maybe letting him know that was enough? But he'd have to wait on writing him back. He was hoping to get a guide to the Dust Devil Flats after the lunch he had to attend.

Putting the letter in his bag, he turned his attention back to this shopping trip. He needed to restock his healing supplies. The shop here had a special with a red potion in a reusable bottle. With his current stock, the smaller more specialized potions were in corked vials that needed to be traded in to get replaced. The bottled potions were general use and healed more, but couldn't take care of specific problems like poison. But the bottle could be used for a lot more than just potions and he'd gotten a good amount of reward money from the queen. He picked out the red potion special, just in case.

While he was paying for that and a few other extra supplies, a group of Zora kids came in. "Oh, here he is!" a boy said, coming over with the others. "Hey mister hero, are you going to tell everybody how you defeated the lake monsters?"

He didn't like being the one telling stories. But if it was a group of kids asking for them, it wasn't as bad. Link nodded. They cheered and even the shopkeeper smiled at it.

Even the girl he'd rescued was there. Sophie had to have the doctor near her as she was still sick, but she made herself stay awake long enough to listen to him. The other kids wanted to ask him lots of questions. Fortunately, their parents called them back because they had school lessons to get back to. Link was going to talk with Rosso about getting the passage opened up, but he went over to Sophie first. "How are you doing?" he asked her.

"I'm still tired and my legs are all itchy," she said, kicking her feet out. "But doctor says it's good cause I can feel that. I'll make myself get better cause I want to fight as good as you someday."

Link had to smile at that. "Practice every day once you get better and you could."

Sophie smiled back. "Yeah, I'll do that. Oh, but, I wanted to make you something cause you saved me, but I haven't had the time to make it. So, could you come back in a while to see if I've got it made? I'll give it to you when it's good and done."

"Sure, I'll do that," he promised.


	6. The Trial of the King

**Chapter 6: The Trial of the King**

Taking a break from his studies, Ganon summoned up a Seeker, a tiny monster that was merely an eye with bat wings and bird feet. It spread out its wings on his hand, then took off on his mental suggestions. Ganon closed his eyes and set his mind to viewing through the Seeker's eye. With a spell to give it a boost in speed, the Seeker was able to fly right up to the prison tower and check in on Zelda and Impa.

The princess was at the writing desk, working on another letter. Meanwhile, her handmaiden was leaning against a wall in thought. Impa had been trying to find an escape from the room, but he'd already blocked them off. "Getting those monsters killed just two days after you sent him out after them is a promising sign."

"True, but I can feel more strong monsters waking up throughout..." she paused, tensing. "Something's watching."

Impa pushed away from the wall and made a motion with her hand. The Seeker died not even a second later. Coming back to where he was in the library, Ganon rubbed his forehead to ease some of the displacement. Spying on them wasn't going to work out. But it might help to send some of his human soldiers up there as guards. As long as those guards could hear into that locked room, it'd limit how much Zelda and Impa could plan with each other.

Calling up another Seeker, he sent it off to the public area of the castle to look aound and listen. He found the clerk Zelda loved at work: checking a message, writing one in response, sending it off with magic through a slot in his storage room. The Seeker was able to read the message Joachim had received while he was doing the last. It was from a tavern owner in the castle town, noting that some residents did not want to leave the city and were putting together a group to take the castle back. The tavern owner had asked him if he knew of any loyal knights still in the castle that could be sent over to help.

The resistance group would have to be dealt with, but Ganon didn't see them as a threat to himself. They were a threat to his soldiers, though. If the group gained enough steam, he might want to be even stricter with the Sudain soldiers in order to drive them away. There was a piece of him that was appalled at the thought even if it was for their own good. But his old self was losing his voice. Not that it mattered; he had been a weak person who was laughable even as a child king. He was stronger than that now. He could let go of that sentimentality, but he still needed to keep a clear head and it was more convincing to write Link with that old voice.

When Joachim got back into the office, Ganon had the Seeker hide on top of a bookshelf. There was vent nearby, with a pipe that led into a cast-iron heater and stove in the next room over. Voices could be heard through the pipe and as the clerk came by to look for some forms, he paused to eavesdrop. Making the Seeker hop closer, Ganon could hear them too.

It was his three human generals. "I am glad he got rid of Medras, but didn't you find that unnerving?" Kimbera asked, concern coming through her words strongly. "And he did the same thing to the knight captain who helped us in. He's... Ganon's not been the sort to be violent like that until recently." She paused. "I feel like we called him a different name, but it keeps escaping me."

"If he hadn't toughened up like that, we wouldn't have stood a chance at retaking our land," Leonidas said. But there was doubt in him too. "Much less take this step to overtake Hyrule itself. Although, it has been an extreme shift."

"He could've snapped under the Hylian king's cruelty," Velken said, a touch of ruthlessness in his voice. Although Velken was cold, he wasn't cruel like Medras had been. He didn't say a lot due to an antisocial nature, but that made him excellent in keeping discipline among the Sudain troops and directing other fighters like himself who worked better alone.

"That's possible, but we swore loyalty to him and should stay with him," Leonidas said. Ganon could imagine Velken nodding. He was dependable like that.

"I just wonder sometimes if he's the same person we swore loyalty to," Kimbera said. The way her voice shifted around, she must be pacing in the other room. "I'll stick with this; it is significant that we've accomplished his goal. But, he's secluding himself again and wouldn't explain to me what he's planning out now. He's clearly not done with things."

"He still has the Falcon's Ring," Leonidas said.

"Not wearing it," Velken pointed out. That was because it had started bothering him once the Triforce of Power and the evil spirit accompanying it had come to him.

"But he still has it, so the gods of our land still support him," he said.

"I worry, though, what's going to happen to us all if he keeps treading this path?" Kimbera asked. "If he's killing traitors or those who go against his wishes, is it going to stop with those two? I wouldn't think so, others could die even if we're serving him because we do or say something he doesn't like. The Falcon Ring is supposed to choose a good leader for our people, one that can pass its trials. If he's not wearing it anymore, what's that mean?"

"You may be worrying too much," Leonidas said. "Although, I understand. We need to keep sharp."

"Falcon Ring, huh?" Joachim murmured softly, not enough to be heard through the pipe but enough to be heard by the Seeker. He was a weak dandy who worked with paper. But, he cared about people and had managed a quick evacuation of the city under occupation. He was also someone who was likely to marry Princess Zelda if he survived the current circumstances. Was he someone who would take advantage of a people in need if it got him power? Or was he someone who'd fairly repay one favor with another?

Leonidas continued in a more sentimental tone. "And there are times when I also miss the boy who was trying so hard to make things right in a peaceful way."

Having overheard some good things, Ganon disconnected from the Seeker, instructing it to slip out of Joachim's office for a better place to hide when the clerk wouldn't notice. The claw ring that was his proof of royalty was sitting on the table along with the books he was studying. It didn't want him to wear it anymore, much like his generals were fearing. After all, it was designed to refuse a ruler with strong evil in their soul. His role in this legend had given him a better proof of power, yes, but had lost him this one that could break the loyalty of his human followers.

Not yet. They could desert him all they wanted in the future. For now, he needed them in small ways. But he had to plan for that future, for the well being of his people in his last acts for them. That meant the Falcon Ring had to go to someone. Leonidas, Velken, and Kimbera were all loyal to Sudai, but they were soldiers without experience in government responsibilities. While there were advisers and assistants who were running Sudai in his absence, none of them stood out as strong enough in heart to be a leader and keep the people safe from the repercussions of this legend.

Joachim, though, he was intelligent and had experience in how a kingdom worked. While not strong in body, his heart was strong enough to accept his disadvantaged position and turn it towards protecting others. If he could be made attached to the people of Sudai like he was to the people here, he would make an excellent successor as a king of Sudai. Albertos had really flubbed in missing the young man's potential. Sudai wouldn't become independent, but it could be joined with Hyrule through royal marriage. With the way Zelda cared for people too, that would leave Ganon's people to enjoy whatever peace came after this time.

Of course, that could still go horribly wrong. Perhaps Joachim and Zelda would not care as much as he hoped. Although, Ganon doubted that. She didn't trust him and yet she still had given her word previously that she'd try to get aide to Sudai. There was also the issue of if the three generals would accept a foreigner like Joachim taking the Falcon Ring. Within Sudai, the ring was considered a holy artifact like the Triforce itself, albeit not as powerful. They'd still be suspicious of him. There had to be some way to get Joachim to talk to the generals first, to nudge both sides closer.

Talking... that was it. Kimbera was most unsure. Ganon took some paper and wrote up orders for her to interrogate Joachim on some matter. Not the resistance, no, leave that for the time being. What about the treasury? Ganon did want to track down the Septdraco, the thing that had ultimately triggered this whole situation. Some of his references here were on that but the clerk might know something more. But not just the single artifact. After some thought, he wrote down that he wanted Joachim questioned over several artifacts as well as some information about the castle, town, and people.

And he needed Joachim to get some information about the Falcon Ring and its trials. Ganon couldn't just send him a book or two; they wouldn't fit with the work he was supposed to be doing. However, he was allowing Zelda to get some books from the library in order to keep her occupied. He could slip in a book about Sudain traditions and royalty. With the Triforce of Wisdom, she should pick out information on the Falcon Ring as important and then pass that along to Joachim when he was allowed to visit. That would give Joachim more incentive to get the ring; the talks should get Kimbera and probably Leonidas on his side. Velken was more likely to stick with Ganon, unless he too was pushed just right.

All that would lead to his people being protected in the end; it was an immense relief to finally have a full plan for that problem.

Ganon sent the interrogation orders off and went to locate the right book to get to Zelda. As he was doing so, the enchanted envelope came back with a letter from Link. He was in the public part of the library, so he tucked it away until he got the book found and placed to be sent up to her tower room. Back in the hidden room, he made sure he was alone before opening up the letter to read.

To Gale:

I really thought you were just tired when trying to write, but I'm happy that you actually mean it. I'm just not sure what all to write as a response. Actually, the time I first saw you, I'd hoped we could at least be friends because you seemed so interesting to me. And you take such good care of your horse; I could tell just in taking care of him that evening. I've always felt an affinity with horses, so I have an even harder time getting along with someone who makes horses nervous or doesn't care about them. Maybe that is odd, but it works out for me.

And I was really impressed with how you fought in the grotto too. Using magically summoned swords like that must have taken a lot of training in magic and swordsmanship; I can handle the latter just fine, but I don't think I could use magic that effectively even with my dreams. And I'm still not sure what to write with you about. We are very different, given how smart, powerful, and confident you are. Someone like you wouldn't have trouble anywhere when I'm going to have a lot more trouble in the future just talking to people who don't know me. Still, I'm trying to be a hero and heroes are known more for actions than words, so I'm hoping I can get by on that.

Well if you do start flirting with me, you'd be the only one I'd listen to in that way. There's been people who admired me or I admired them, but those never even got started. The closest was someone I got annoyed with really quickly, a girl back in Taven. When we were kids, she was one of those who would make fun of the way I talked. And I had a horrible lisp and mumbling problem back then; it's cleared up for the most part but I still really don't like my voice. In the past year, she's been following me around and pushing for me to be her boyfriend. Neither the horses nor I liked her, but she would not give up. That's actually one reason I had for leaving my hometown even though I love Taven in other ways.

I hope this wasn't boring, I'm just writing down things I think of. Though I'm afraid I'd be embarrassed if I wrote all that I was thinking right now. I'm really happy that this happened. Where are you staying, by the way? I've already got plans to move on and find the other two medals, but I'd like to stop by and see you again. Maybe on my way to the last medal, which is supposed to be around Death Mountain.

Write whenever you have time, but don't keep yourself up studying too late.

From Link.

"Got you right how I want you," Ganon said with a smile.

Bluffing about his location could prove tough. But knowing that he meant to go to Death Mountain at some point was an excellent thing to know. That area was inhabited by the Gorons, a people as rough and stubborn as the mountains they lived on. If he asked Velken to go in, cause some trouble and ask some provoking questions, they could set things up to make it difficult for Link to get to the medal there without talking to the Gorons. He might get by with the Zoras, but having to negotiate with Gorons that were wary and on edge could be a nightmare for Link. That would satisfy the evil spirit about tormenting the hero.

Although, maybe he could arrange for Link to meet up with him in another town on his way? The letters might not be enough when he needed Link under the control of Gale by the time he claimed the Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage. And the shrine was in the town of Onduran, which also had a college and library of high reputation. It should be possible to be there when Link was passing through, then arrange a cover letter asking him to be somewhere else so the meeting didn't take too long.

Ganon already had plans playing out around Death Mountain and the nearby town of Kakariko. And Velken wouldn't question orders. Ganon wrote down some quick notes on what could be done there. However, he had other plans today as well. He'd already made arrangements: call everyone left in town to meet up in the town plaza, bring a group of strong human soldiers and intimidating monsters to keep order, and most importantly, get King Albertos to drink a few beers laced with a potion of honesty. Today, justice would be on his side even though the legends forced him into a villainous mold.

When the time arrived, he sent some Darknuts to go fetch the king, queen, princess, the princess' handmaiden, and the captive clerk. Others might not understand why he wanted Joachim there too, but he had to be. Ganon left the library for the town plaza, flanked by Velken as soon as he got into the public area in the castle fore. "I'm going to need you on a mission among the Gorons soon," he said quietly to his general. "Orders will be sent later today, there's still a few things to work out."

"I'll be waiting, your majesty," Velken replied promptly.

The town plaza was full of tension, warm under a strong late spring sun. In front of the castle exit, his mix of soldiers obediently stood at attention, saluting when he walked by. Around the fountain and other buildings, a small crowd of those who hadn't yet left waited to see what would happen. Some of the civilians were afraid; others wanted to fight but had second thoughts on seeing them together like this. However, the plaza was not silent. That was because in the middle of it all, the prisoners were being held in a group and the king was burning with anger.

"What the hell is wrong with you all?!" Albertos yelled drunkenly at his remaining citizens, making a good number flinch. "I built Hyrule up to be stronger and just look at you all, you lot of sniveling cowards who just accept the invasion. Just what I expect of common tr..."

"Father, please be respectable," Zelda said in a strict tone.

"Hush girl," he said. "Girls like you should be obedient and quiet. Feh, but your line is blessed, so they say, and will only ever produce one girl at a time. One girl! Never a prince. I would have much preferred to have a son who could help actively in ruling a nation; we would have grown much faster."

"I agree with her that you should be respectable at this time," Ganon said, stepping out to in front of them. Velken stayed just behind the prisoners to keep an eye on things and Zelda was looking at the ground. "This will be your trial, when your fate will be decided." Although, he had already decided on that.

"What right do you have to pass judgment on me?" Albertos snapped, glowering at him. "I crowned you; I made you a king. You owe everything, even your life, to me."

Ganon stayed calm in spite of the fire of hatred that burned in his soul. This was a moment he'd been waiting for and he was going to enjoy it. "What gave you the right to crown me in the first place?"

"We don't have to speak of that to you," the queen said quickly.

Although he tried to not say anything, Albertos then blurted out, "Whatever, you were there too Abigail. I had the right because I killed your parents and claimed the crown of Sudai. But that damn Falcon Ring wouldn't let me touch it and so I had to put the crown and ring on you."

Ganon nodded, causing the gathered crowd to gasp. Zelda, Joachim, and Impa were all shocked to hear that; the princess even cringed and seemed like she'd cry. "Yes, that's exactly what happened," he said. "She was there the whole time; I was there the whole time. You said it was a meeting to discuss terms of surrender and murdered them instead."

"What's going on?" Abigail asked, confused about this. "We were not to discuss this, it was..."

"A closed door discussion, yes," Ganon said, flicking a hand so that one of his spellblades appeared. "I've decided it shouldn't stay behind closed doors anymore. King Albertos, you have been given a potion of honesty. You will be unable to resist speaking the truth today. Queen Zelda, your bloodline is renown for its wisdom and honor." She went still at that, afraid. "Not only were you there at the betrayal, but you were insensitive enough to laugh at it. That is true?"

"No!" Abigail said, shaking her head.

"Yes, you did," Albertos said, his eyes wide as he said it.

"You are just as responsible for this crime, as guilty as your husband," Ganon said, moving in front of her. In the line of his soldiers, the humans started glancing at each other. Even Velken tightened his lips, a faint sign of his uncertainty.

"No, leave her be!" Albertos shouted, trying to yank himself out of being held in place. But Ganon had made sure he and the queen were held by Darknuts who wouldn't care.

"Your turn will come," Ganon said, a smile momentarily slipping out before he caught control of himself again. "This is your end, Queen Zelda Abigail." He then decapitated her swiftly, causing cries of horror all around him when her head hit the ground. These people never imagined they'd be seeing a public execution in this age. Then he move back in front of Albertos. "And you..."

"Are you going to kill all of us, you monster?" the king asked, anger coming back to him.

"Not today," he replied. "There are things that I do not want to remain mysteries. What is the truth behind the theft of the Septdraco? Answer me now, in front of those gathered here."

"None of you deserve to know such things," he tried to resist with. Between the potion and the alcohol, though, he had no chance of keeping it silent. "Everyone is so small-minded. Hyrule is the greatest nation in the world, it doesn't deserve to languish in small borders and stagnation. No thief stole the Septdraco. It was copied by one of our master craftsman, then the worthless copy was sent to your parents under the pretense of being the real thing. When they announced that they had the artifact, they were seeking to secure it from abuse. But that wouldn't do and a spy intercepted the message to change it to a threat of using it. That gave us ample reason to declare war."

"That wasn't the only falsehood you spread to advance your ambitions of conquest," Ganon said. Nearby, Zelda was shaking and the human guard assigned to her looked uncomfortable. Joachim reached over and put an arm around her; neither of their guards did anything to stop them. But that was fine. Velken was back to being stoic and he would move quickly if they tried to attack or, more likely, run.

"You've got it all wrong," Albertos said. "I was called by the goddesses to this quest to unite all the lands under Hyrule's banner. Whatever it took because so many people are narrow-minded idiots. We pursued thieves that didn't exist through various lands because no one would believe that we were doing the best thing for everyone. While we were in your stinking swampland, we took some ridiculous treasure and sent it off to take care of another stubborn nation. Laverre did move against us first, but it was a handful of stupid teenagers who thought they were going to earn glory by stopping us at their border. They all died instead, just what they deserved."

Ganon pointed his sword towards him to make him stop. "Either you are delusional or your goddesses are cruel. I would believe both those theories to be true. But there's something you haven't said yet. In the end, you were going to use me, your daughter, and some stranger you don't care about to invoke the legends of your land and justify your blood-fueled reign. The Triforce will wash away all your sins even if you have not repented of them. Is that what you think?"

"My reign will be seen as the most glorious of all history," he insisted. "Hyrule is rising to such heights as will never be seen again. The legends will prove that I am right to rule the world."

"No, they will prove that you deserve to die," Ganon said, then executed him in the same manner. Unlike with the queen, this death was met with a silence only missed because of Zelda's quiet sobs on Joachim's shoulder. He then turned towards the crowd in the plaza, causing all of them to immediately back up. "You have witnessed justice today. Do not forget it; do not let it be forgotten." Then he turned back the prisoners and their guards. "Take those three back into the tower. We're done here, all are dismissed." He then headed back into the castle ahead of them; a group of four Darknuts advanced from the back line to make sure the prisoner group got moving in the right direction. The two who had been holding the king and queen retrieved the heads and took off with the bodies to fully destroy.

Velken fell in step beside him just as he had before. Whatever he thought of this, he was being silent on it. Hopefully he stayed loyal long enough to handle the Gorons for him.

* * *

To Link:

I have noticed the fall of the Zora Eaters, how they are no longer in the world. Thank you for dealing with them so promptly. But while that is a victory earned, many more monsters have come into being ever since Ganon took over the castle. I can tell that a good portion of them were summoned by him; it's very likely that he was responsible for the Zora Eaters too, although I only have a pattern within the summoning magic to support that with.

Since you have the support of the Zoras now, it would be good to have them show you the way to the Dust Devil Flats at the edge of the Garudo Desert. That land has long been deserted and will be hostile to your presence. Please take care and make sure you have good supplies. The Flats are an enchanted area of land, much like the Trickster's Grotto from near Taven. Every monster there is dangerous, but I would warn you most about the Helmaroc, the Wizzrobes, and the phantom

From Zelda

I apologize for disrupting her letter, but it's unavoidable as she's not in a state of mind to be writing. My name is Impa, Zelda's guardian and handmaiden. At this time, I am in some shock myself. Ganon has publicly executed King Albertos and Queen Zelda Abigail not quite an hour ago. The king was tricked into drinking a potion that forced him to speak his mind in full honesty. It was an ugly scene, from both Albertos and Ganon. While I won't go into full details of that now, Albertos has orchestrated all the wars that occurred in his reign and the Sudai rebellion is heavily driven by revenge. It's unclear what will happen now, except that Ganon will likely keep Zelda, myself, and possibly her sweetheart Joachim alive until he can claim the Triforce of Wisdom.

If the Triforce of Courage manifests in you as Zelda believes it will, please take great caution with your own safety. Claiming the whole Triforce is the most obvious goal for Ganon that I can think of, which would bring a time of chaos and darkness across Hyrule. It may even affect all the lands that Albertos conquered. My hope is that we don't get a chance to see if that is true.

As she was advising you on the monsters of the Dust Devil Flats, let me finish for her. The Helmaroc is a giant monstrous bird of shadows that commands many Kagorocs. They often fly into Hyrule on the desert winds, although the Helmaroc is rarely seen outside the desert. It's most often seen perched on a tall totem in the center of the desert. As those monster birds attack like eagles, they can strike swiftly. Be wary of what's in the sky during the day.

The Wizzrobes are a race of wizard monsters that can take many forms and inhabit many places. For the most part, they will wear a robe that acts as a tell for what kind of magic they can perform. In the desert area you're headed to, brown robe Wizzrobes favor earth magic, white trimmed with green robes warn of wind magic, and any with gold are capable of summoning other monsters. Physical attacks or non-magical ranged attacks are best for dealing with them.

Lastly, the phantom she refers to is a phantom puppet of a Ganon from many ages past. As long as you stay around the Dust Devil Flats and the oasis you emerge in, you should not encounter this creature. There is a chance with both the Helmaroc and the Wizzrobes that you may end up taken to the furthest reaches of the Garudo Desert where the ruins of a great temple lay. That is where the phantom of Ganon resides. It will not appear where there is sunlight, so if you end up there, hopefully it's during the day and not the night. It is powerful with magic and swords; I am unsure of any advice to give if you end up facing it since you don't have the Master Sword yet.

I do not know when Zelda will be able to write you again. However, I will remain with her and help her the best I can. Not only that, but Joachim has been allowed into the tower with us; he is doing all he can to comfort her. The most valuable help you could give us is to continue after the Master Sword so that you will be capable of fighting Ganon with its holy might.

I pray that you have the strength of heart to bear this burden that has fallen on your shoulders..

From Impa

"Something the matter?" Rosso asked, waiting by a pool among the many near the Zora town. A tunnel near the bottom was the one way in and out of the Garudo Desert.

"The king and queen of Hyrule are dead," he told him. "Executed in the middle of town. Zelda had been writing me a letter and her guardian finished it for her."

"There was something about those two that I never liked," he said, the fin on his one arm going still. "Still, I feel bad for the princess; she has a heart of gold and would forgive even them of their attitudes."

And their crimes? Link hadn't liked them either in spite of never meeting the king and queen. They seemed so proud of the wars that kept following each other. Still, could he have saved them if he was acknowledged as a hero? Probably not as he was now. Ganon held the Triforce of Power and it would take the blade that countered all evil to face him on relatively fair grounds. Maybe if his original request to become a mercenary had been approved? Then again, he could clearly remember the strange call to awaken as the hero from the morning that the horses had been stolen. That had been just a week and a half ago, not enough time for him to have gotten to a level to do something so audacious.

"Ganon is keeping Zelda alive, for now," Link said. "I really don't have time to waste; he'll only gain more hold over the land as the days go by."

"We'll hold onto Lake Hylia and these head waters as long as we can," Rosso said, nodding in approval. "I didn't think we could believe you entirely when you came here yesterday. But I believe in you now. Don't hold back against someone like Ganon."

"I won't," he said, then pointed towards the underwater tunnel. "Let's go."


	7. Dust Devil Flats

**Chapter 7: Dust Devil Flats**

The water tunnel led to an oasis at the side of the desert. The sheer rock wall just beside it seemed impassable. Before the Zora left, Rosso told him that this struggling oasis was the only place here where plants could grow. At least the water would be good. A few buildings remained standing, although they had no doors nor glass in the windows. The desert spread far in front of him, but he could use the Song of Soaring to get back here for water and shelter once he reached another landmark.

Link could see the Helmaroc's tower off to the east, but he didn't need to go out that far. The place he needed to go was to the north. With no wind here, the glare of the sun was intense and suffocating. But evening would fall in a few hours. There was a littering of boulders along the way, so he kept to the shadows as much as he could. Dark-feathered Kagarocs often perched on top those boulders and the bones resting in the sands seemed like they could become monsters once the sun went down.

As he got closer to the Dust Devil Flats, the air was drawn towards the strange structure. There was no way it should be standing the way it was. Or rather, floating. He could see sandy cyclones moving around huge levitating floors. What he couldn't see were any walls or supports. It was simply a series of stone floors that hung in the air, one large floor and a group of smaller ones higher up. Was that the Wizzrobes' doing?

He still didn't see any walls when he got into the cyclones' path and his magical compass chimed. Link did see some Wizzrobes wandering about on this first floor. Some images of the past came to his mind: Wizzrobes could take a variety of forms, like mimicking a Bokoblin or being robed birdmen. Here, the Wizzrobes were fully cloaked creatures that floated off the ground. He could see the glowing eyes of the nearest one, a brown robed one. As soon as he recalled what Impa said about them, the brown Wizzrobe lifted its long sleeves and rose an earthen wall between them. That could be annoying, but as long as it wasn't flinging spells at him, it wasn't too bad.

All the ones he could spot down here had brown robes. And they didn't attack as he came in sight of him, just raised up their earth walls to keep from getting attacked. Link checked around the ground floor but found nothing more around. Maybe a chest had gotten buried in the sand? If it had, it was very well hidden or one of the Wizzrobes was keeping on top of it. Eliminating them could lead to something happening.

What about the cyclones, though? There were no stairs to the upper floors, but he could recall some cyclones being powerful enough to throw him up higher. As Link headed towards one to check it out, he recalled that it was mostly the child heroes who took advantage of that. And it was usually done with an item. Nothing he had right now seemed suitable. Getting into a cyclone got him thrown out into the sun-baked sand.

Killing off the brown Wizzrobes could be the next step; Link considered that as he picked himself back up. Then he heard a strange laugh behind him. One of the white and green Wizzrobes was up on the second floor, making an insulting gesture at him. The cyclone had moved on but the air was still disturbed between them; an arrow shot that way could fly off in another direction. Best to ignore it for now and find a way to get the brown ones.

The green one was not happy with being ignored, giving an angry squabble and creating a cyclone right on top of Link. Instead of shoving him away, this one spun him around so rapidly that he felt sick, then hurled him into the air. The blue sky and orange-brown sand flashed in front of his eyes until he crashed into the latter and got half buried from the force. Link spat out the gritty sand and made sure his swirling head was in the air so he could breathe.

Once the dizziness passed, he glanced around. The sun was touching the mountains in the distance. From that, he could tell he'd been thrown north of the Flats, about a twenty minute walk from there. Close to him, there was a crumbled structure that seemed to be mostly wood. Out here? Link went over and picked up a piece to look over. It was petrified from the dry heat and old age.

There was more past the heap, up an incline not too far ahead. Link could see square buildings carved into the mountain, black holes of windows and doors. As he wondered what kind of town would be out here in a cursed land, he saw this view from hundreds of years ago. The town was alive then, populated by women marked by dark skin and red hair. They had invited him to stay with them since they liked how strong he was. However, the fairy was dead set against it and would only tell him that he didn't understand when asked why.

The town was dead now, barren and still. Link walked up there just in case. When he entered one of the doorways, he found scattered bones in the room and along the halls. It might be shelter, but he felt like he'd rather sleep at the oasis instead of here. Ghosts weren't easy to fight and bad things could come of lingering in a place like this too long.

Before he left, he came across some charcoal ramblings on the walls. A few pictures showed a map of the desert and the layout of the Dust Devil Flats. Arrows pointed to the encircled tower in the center of the desert while the temple ruins had been crossed out. 'First a fish swallows the Medal of Valor and now the Dust Devil has split itself into two. Both halves argue over the Medal of Wit. Bah, forget about getting the Medal of Vigor and whatever treasure is out here. I'll find another way. Besides, the Devil Wizzrobe twins keep arguing over whether night or day is best. They only appear now at dawn and dusk. H. Rat'

Then he had to defeat the Dust Devil for the Medal of Wit, and it was actually a pair of Wizzrobe twins. Other marks warned that going near the temple brought about certain death. But for the tower, the note seemed more promising. 'Get feather from Helmaroc! Key to getting to the upper level of DDF. That totem pole is spawning monsters, so approach at own risk.'

Quietly thanking the goddesses that he'd found this information, Link altered his plans. Taking out the brown Wizzrobes on the ground level might still do something, but getting to the second level apparently required a Helmaroc feather. So he needed to go back to the oasis with the magic song, then trek out to the totem pole. Depending on how long it took him to get the feather, he would then go back to the oasis for the night or try to find the Dust Devils at dusk.

Before he could go, some movement caught his eye: Gale's envelope had come back. Link smiled and opened it up right away. It was still daylight, so this place was fine for a short break.

Dear Link:

I really don't think you need to be ashamed of your voice anymore. You have a nice calming tone. If you let yourself be confident in your words, I'm sure you could soothe anybody's heart, not just the horses. I keep thinking that I really want to talk with you again soon. When I was young, my parents made sure I could speak well; it's something you need to keep pace in high society. I could help you out there, but you should stop worrying over it since that will make improving harder on you.

As for where I am now, I'm at the college in Onduran using their library for my study. I never took classes here, but I had good enough connections to get a visitor's pass. You could stop by here on your way to Death Mountain. Please be careful in doing so. Ganon has secured his hold on all the communities in central Hyrule and is spreading out from there. As I'm Sudain nobility, so far they haven't bothered me.

But I can't say that I agree with how our king is doing things. Did you hear about how he executed the Hylian king and queen in the town square? Doing so in public with many witnesses is a barbaric display of power, especially since he killed them himself. And there's that name he took as well. I am certain that that was not always his name, but it only gives me a headache when I try to remember his original name. They say that he's the descendant of the Ganondorf who fought against the Hero of Time. Perhaps he called on his ancestor's soul?

That really worries me, especially about what's going to happen to the rest of us from Sudai. The people that Ganondorf ruled over were called the Gerudo and all that's left of them is a few scattered individuals of watered-down blood. While the desert they lived in still bears their name, it's now a cursed place cut off from the rest of the world and only populated by monsters. I know what a lot of people say about us, but those of us from Sudai aren't a corrupt people. It's like you Hylians, there's mostly good people with a few bad ones around. Possibly our king is evil now, but I can't say that to many people.

Well this strayed from what I meant to write you, but it is something that worries me. If you do become the hero of Hyrule, could you be kind to the rest of Sudai? Visit me in Onduran on your way to Death Mountain, if you can avoid notice from Ganon's monsters and soldiers patrolling around. Once we meet up, I can excuse you as my guest and we could spend some time together.

So where are you now? I was able to find records of where the medals you're searching for are supposed to be (Valor, Vigor, and Wit), but that cave where the Zora Eaters were is not one of those places.

From Gale.

Halfway through the letter, Link had paused and glanced around at the room he was in. A few bones on the floor might've been the remains of adventurers like those who wrote on the wall here. Or, they might be those of the Gerudo people. Had they been wiped out because of what the past hero had done? The Hero of Time had fought a few of the Gerudo women, but Link didn't think that he had killed any of them. The storytellers said that the Gerudo were a race of thieves. Thieves… wasn't that like what people were saying these days about the Sudain people?

But Gale was one of them and he was a good person. Link could certainly be mindful of others from Sudai for his sake. As he finished up the letter, he thought that Gale offering help with his speaking was a great thing. That would make things less stressful than they currently were. He'd get over to Onduran as soon as he could, once he'd taken care of things here in the desert and retrieved Epona from the Zora inn.

There weren't any monsters here yet, so Link took a few minutes to write a response and send it off. There was a lot to write him now: tell him that he'd definitely take up that offer to visit him, assure him that he wasn't going to be against his people unless he had to defend himself or someone else, and let him know about what he was facing in the Gerudo Desert in order to get the Medal of Wit. Gale might know something more of how to deal with the Wizzrobes.

Once that was flying away, Link left the building and took out his flute. The Song of Soaring felt like he was wrapped in feathers before warping off to the point he had in mind, the oasis. He took a moment to drink some fresh water and store some more before heading off to the west. While the totem was further off than the flats, it was a clear landmark to follow. The sky was darkening and the air was cooling off. At those signs, the totem and a large ring of torches around it lit up with white fire. Good, he could at least take care of the Helmaroc with that light.

The approaching night meant that monsters were beginning to stir. Kagarocs dove at him and had to be shot away with arrows. Thankfully, he was able to retrieve most of the arrows. Little whirling cacti that he felt were called Leevers appeared as he got away from the mountainous wall of this desert. They weren't trouble as long as he was mindful of how he moved. Once the sun was gone, the skeletons in the sand did come to life to attack him. The Stalchildren weren't too strong, but there were a lot of them in darker areas. The lanterns of Poes also appeared, though none came close.

As he got close to the nearest torch, the envelope returned to him. Link didn't want a Kagaroc to tear it, so he grabbed it out of the air with his shield hand and kept moving. Stopping did not seem like a smart idea. Once he entered the white light of the torch, the Stalchildren stopped and didn't want to follow him. The Kagarocs wheeled away, cawing but not pursuing him. Maybe they saw this as the territory of the Helmaroc.

He tucked the envelope into his bag, then glanced around. A raised portion of sandstone here gave a foundation to the totem and its torches. From bottom to top, there was a Stalchild face, what seemed like a Leever cactus, another skeleton monster in a Stalfos, a Peahat, maybe a Wizzrobe hood, a ring of orbs he couldn't identify, a Skull Bubble, and lastly a Kagaroc spreading its wings and long neck out. The Helmaroc itself wasn't perched on top.

Where was it? Link kept his sword out and checked around for any clues. It got eerie as he finished a lap around totem and nothing came. Once he stopped, he felt something was up. The giant bird then showed up at last, screeching at him in fury at the trespassing. He rolled to the side; it crashed right into the totem pole and collapsed into a heap of blue and red feathers. Not wanting it to take back to the air, Link darted over and used a quick draw to cut through its wing and break the bone there. One of its smallest wing feathers came off whole and dropped on the ground. Link went ahead and grabbed it. An odd feeling came over him, like he was in the water rather than the air.

By then, the Helmaroc had recovered itself. It screamed, making the black mask over its face shine ominously. Beating its one good wing, it called up another whirlwind that caught Link and hurled him even deeper into the desert. The darkness made it even more disorienting when he landed. He could see the white torches lighting up the monster totem. As the sun was down and no moon had arrived yet, he wasn't sure how to tell where he was. He wasn't at the oasis; maybe the compass would clear things up, if he could see it.

Then there was a large explosion by the totem, showing what the Helmaroc had done with its mask. It wasn't a bright creature, Link thought, given that he was thrown a long distance from it. As he got up, the totem pole exploded into a huge tower of white flame. That would have been bad to get caught in, especially as he felt the shockwave from it from where he was. White flames were scattered through the desert, including out where he was. It gave illumination, so he glanced around to see where he'd ended up.

It was too dark to see outside of the range of two flames that had fallen to the ground nearby. But within that area, a strange figure was floating ten feet away. It had the silhouette of a man, but blue-white flames glowed within a tattered frame. It had a skull for a head and a twisted staff for a weapon. Recognizing it as the phantom Ganon, Link knew that he wasn't anywhere he wanted to be.

The phantom twirled its staff, causing a dozen small electric balls to shoot out around it. After a moment, they all blew up and the phantom was flying towards him. Link blocked its staff with his sword, finding the phantom's weapon more solid than it appeared. The phantom reversed its hold on the staff trying to smack him in the head with it. Dodging to the side, he cut through it to find not much there. Its body was brittle but its spirit would not die easily.

"You?" it growled, moving back a foot. "You're the one who defeated me before. You're the reason I've been abandoned out here!"

"That wasn't me," Link said. Although, how could he convince a phantom who most likely wasn't sensible?

"It was you! I can't defeat you, but I can make you pay for my suffering! You will never be safe again." Taking its staff in both hands, it spun the weapon around into a black blur. The completed circle turned into a small line, then shot at his right hand too quick for him to get it out of the way. The phantom laughed like it was in pain before it turned to smoke and ash.

Link's wrist stung, but it was more like a rope burn than a cut. Looking there, he found a black bracelet made up of a tiny chain with three charms. One was a flaming skull like the phantom's, another was a black horseshoe, and the third was a blank silhouette. The phantom of Ganon was going to haunt him now, along with whatever the other charms represented. Although, it might be considered lucky because he didn't have a weapon now that could deal with this spirit. He could deal with this until he could destroy the phantom.

Turning around, he saw that the totem was still in flames. Link hoped that didn't do anything bad. Still, it was too late to be trying to find the Dust Devils. He warped back to the oasis and set up a campsite with the sturdiest building left there. There were what looked like magic wards carved onto the walls, although he couldn't tell if they were still active. Since he was safer indoors, he got out Gale's letter to finally read.

Dear Link:

The Wizzrobes are best taken out with non-elemental ranged magic or arrows, so you should be fine with those. The Kagarocs and Helmaroc are also best dealt with through arrows; you may want to wait until daytime to have better sight of them. As for the more worrisome factors, I've heard of the Dust Devil but the stories are contradictory. There is either one or two of them and they might have powers over time or gravity. When you do come to fight them, be careful if it's the latter as that floating dungeon might collapse upon their deaths. The Ganon phantom might be best left alone until you have more options to fight it with.

Also, I have a feeling that the totem pole in the desert is a big problem. The desert has been lifeless and cursed for so long that I wonder if that totem is causing that. It could be better to knock it down and see if the desert changes character. Even if it's not the source of the desert's curse, it might be the source of the Helmaroc's life. Several adventurers have claimed to have killed the Helmaroc but it came back to full life later in the day. So destroying the totem should help in some way.

Be careful out there; I'll be waiting to see you.

From Gale.

If he was right, then the accidental destruction of the totem wasn't anything to worry about. Link wrote back to inform him of what happened and ask about the strange bracelet. He was tired after all the treks around the desert, so he went to sleep shortly after sending the letter off. In that short time, he wondered what his next meeting with Gale would be like.

* * *

At the top of the tower, Zelda seemed more stunned than anything. Joachim was trying to help her, but it wasn't as simple as just losing her parents. Having heard the truth behind the wars, even he was shocked at how awful of a plan it was. All this waste; the king had used even her for the sake of conquering other lands. What should be done now?

While things should be done for the kingdom, right now they had to deal with being captive in the castle. They could plan for ahead, but they'd have to get out of the castle to do much. Still, there was something that was on his mind. "Impa, do you know much about Sudai?"

"I spent some time there," she said. "What about that place?"

"Do you know about the Falcon Ring?" he asked.

"It's the symbol of Sudain royalty," she said without hesitation. "They say that a falcon spirit has protected their kingdom since it was founded; this spirit judges Sudai's rulers to see if they meet its expectations. As such, they expect all of their rulers to be tested before they're accepted by the public. The falcon can even cause a ruler to be rejected."

"I see, that's what they meant." Then he explained about how he'd overheard about Ganon not wearing his Falcon Ring and how his generals were starting to have some doubts in him.

Zelda had listened to that. "If he has become Ganon, he can't wear it. We might be able to convince his forces to help us out of here if they lose faith in him. I thought I saw a hint of goodness in him one time, but maybe that's gone."

"He's certainly gotten cruel to make you be there today," Joachim said, still angry over that. It was an important truth to come out. But still, did he have to do that? Maybe it was some twisted idea of justice?

"He has said he wants me dead," she said, not much energy in her voice. "I wish we could do more. You and I are more the people who rebuild and reorganize after these events, not those who would actively participate."

"We'll find a way, even if it's just hiding out until our skills are needed," he said, trying to reassure her. It was important to rebuild. But she just shook her head, trembling again.

Joachim went to sit by her again, but then loud thumps came from the door. "We're here for Joachim, General Kimbera has called for you."

"May I come back to be with Zelda?" he called back.

"Maybe tomorrow, get over here."

After a quiet sigh, he kissed Zelda's cheek. "I'll pester them until they let me back up."

"Be careful," she said, gripping his hand before letting him go.

The lady general wanted to interrogate him on various treasures and devices within Hyrule Castle. Joachim didn't want to cooperate; at least some of it he could honestly say he wasn't sure about, like the current location of the Septdraco. He cooperated on things that shouldn't make much of a difference, in exchange for something he wanted to know. "Are we going to allow some traders in the castle? We've got a good stockpile, but we'll have to restrict the meals if we can't get fresh foods."

"We'll allow for some traders we approve of," Kimbera said.

"And how are the other towns and regions doing? I can only get information on the castle now, since there hasn't been much out of the town that's reached me."

Fortunately, she was willing to help. "A great many people have escaped the castle city, but the king's monsters have spread to all lands that Hyrule held claim over. They won't find anywhere good to escape to."

"That's unfortunate," Joachim said. "There's going to be a lot of trouble coming out of that. I hope they can at least make themselves a safe area."

"The king used to do so much trying to keep others safe," Kimbera said, then caught herself. "He'll make things right; he has a plan for all this. You'll see soon."

He could tell by her eye twitches and tapping foot that she didn't believe that herself. Kimbera didn't fully believe in him either, but Joachim hoped that he might have started a connection here.

* * *

Eerie whirs woke Link up; he found that some Leevers were spinning around not far from his shelter. He had to dispatch them before he could prepare himself for the day. As it was in the pre-dawn hours, he had time to get to the dust devil's labyrinth and hopefully meet them. After he got something to eat, he warped himself over to place. The bottom floor was still populated by brown Wizzrobes; he ignored them for now.

Now, about this feather… Link felt a little different carrying it around. He'd tied it to his horsehair charm in order to keep track of it. Was it a weight enchantment? Or it might be jumping. Link walked back away from the floating floors, then jumped to experiment. He ended up jumping over three times his own height. That would certainly get him up there. For now, he ran over and jumped when there wasn't a cyclone there to throw him off.

Up on the second floor, it was was empty save for the green Wizzrobes. No walls, no chests, no other enemies. There was a cross hallway overhead between four platforms that he hadn't been able to see well from the desert floor. As with this floor, there wasn't a staircase or ladder up there. It seemed too high for him to reach with the Helmaroc feather. But there were small wind cyclones that might be able to help.

But he didn't want the green Wizzrobes to mess him up trying to jump up to the top level. Link shot off the Wizzrobes with his bows, starting with the closest. They also dropped some arrows upon being killed. That was supposed to be a blessing of the Hylian goddesses for the people they preferred. Like Gale suggested, these monsters were simple to take care of as long as they didn't notice he was there. Although, they had to be bad at paying attention to miss him jumping up here.

The top level was also empty, not even any Wizzrobes. Link waited there for a moment and thought. Maybe he did need to destroy the first floor Wizzrobes as well. However, the notes mentioned that the twins argued about day and night. He might as well wait up here first.

This plan had the benefit of seeing the sunrise start to develop. As the eastern sky started to turn yellow, two gold and brown Wizzrobes appeared on opposing platforms. They were flinging rocks back and forth trying to hit each other. One flew not that far over Link's head, causing him to duck down and roll towards the nearer of the pair. But when he slashed at it, it teleported away. The other one laughed and made a song play out of nothing. The melody seemed like it could do something.

And it did: it caused the sun to speed across the sky and turn the time to the start of sunset. That was the Sun's Song; Link was sure that if he heard it a couple more times, he could play it himself. Although, would he want to? It didn't seem like turning the day half away was that useful. The Wizzrobe who had teleported to another of the four platforms hurled rocks at both of them, then made the song play again. The night turned to day.

This could turn into trouble. Link tried to block the rock with his shield, but it knocked him back with a loud thonk. Even though his shield arm ached from that, he quickly grabbed at the edge of the platform; this was not a good height to be falling from. Day went to night and night went to day in the brief time that he rebalanced himself. How long had these two been fighting like this? It had to be why he couldn't find them when he'd first arrived.

Thinking that this would be much better if there was some kind of cover up here, Link brought out his bow. It would be easier to aim by day, so he first aimed for the one that was trying to make it night. They both warped when that one was struck, shrieking and deciding to throw spells at him. But not rocks this time: one shot him with lightning and the other with a cutting winter wind. Then day arrived and the two Wizzrobes turned back against each other. At least they were easily distracted, giving him time to drink the red potion he'd bought. He listened for the song, then shot at the one summoning night again.

He'd braced himself to roll away to avoid their magic, but the second arrow was enough to kill off the night-loving Wizzrobe. But instead of going up in an explosion and smoke like other monsters, it turned into shadows and got absorbed into the day-loving Wizzrobe. It screamed in fury while it grew ten times its old size. Ragged brown wings unfurled behind it and the cyclones intensified into one giant tornado. The floating dungeon broke apart and Link was caught in the center of it all with the real Dust Devil. Not only that, but the dark and light continued to cycle, never letting the sun return to its normal pace.

A rock nearly got thrown into him and Link jumped away on instinct. This threw him across the tornado's center where he managed to turn and land on another piece of stone flooring. Later on, he'd not been able to describe how he did it. It was either do or die here inside this storm and the Dust Devil was going wild. The giant Wizzrobe threw spells seemingly at random, making it hard to guess where and when things were safe for a brief moment. Still, he kept alert and when it seemed he had the time, he fired an arrow at it. Maybe the wings, maybe the center of its robe, maybe its glowing eyes…

Since it was making such a ruckus and the wind was howling, it was hard to tell if he was having an effect until the Dust Devil started glowing red and firing streams of sand across the cyclone. After taking another shot at its eyes, Link noticed that something else was floating in the center of the cyclone, something with a fiery red glow. He couldn't get a good look at it in this mess. Since it didn't seem to be attacking him, he jumped to another platform and fired again, ignoring the pain from being battered around this storm. The Dust Devil then went up in flames, confusing Link. However, there was a golden orb he could now see better in those flames. Link fired at that and the Dust Devil exploded into a downpour of sand.

The tornado immediately broke apart and all the floors were scattered around the desert. Link flipped himself upright and prepared to take a long fall, but a red shadow hand snatched him up unexpectedly. Wincing as it tightened on the new spell wounds, he braced himself for whatever was coming next. He got brought safely to the ground along with whoever had been floating in the storm. A sparkling blue medal flew over to him, it had the symbol of Nayru on it as it was the Medal of Wit. He took hold of it...

These lizard people were easy to get angry at. After all, they had stolen all of his gear while he'd been knocked unconscious from the rafting accident. But when he approached them, they didn't seem evil or cruel. They were almost innocent in the ways they found even the simplest things interesting. The Tokay picked up stuff from the beaches and no one came to reclaim them; they didn't see that as anything bad. He felt bad for scaring them when he came to get his things back. Although they had made things harder, he found himself wanting to do something about the monsters that were roaming this island and make things a little more peaceful for the Tokay.

… A full moon shone down on the desert, giving it a mysterious atmosphere. Wait, full moon? It had been a new moon when he'd fought the Zora Eaters. Link clutched the medal and thought that he had disrupted the Dust Devil twins from whatever they had been up to in their epic argument. Then again, they attacked him quickly and their underlings did the same. They weren't innocent like the Tokay had been in that story long ago.

"Link!" a vaguely familiar voice called as the person who'd joined him came closer. "No wonder you weren't responding; thank goodness you're all right."

"Gale?" He stood back up and recognized him now; there weren't many people around with both dark brown skin and bold red hair like that. Link gave him a small bow. "Thanks for helping with that."

"I didn't do too much, just distracted it and got you down safely," Gale said. "I was worried that I hadn't heard from you at all these two weeks."

"I'm all right, it only seemed like a few minutes to me," Link said, then rubbed his shoulder. He did feel strangely exhausted even though he'd only woken up about an hour ago. Maybe it was better to not play the Sun's Song. "They did have powerful spells, so you came at a good time."

He brought out a bottle of blue potion and handed it over. "Here, you'd better drink that; you seem banged up good from that battle. I can take you back to Onduran and get you something to eat over there. You could do with some sleep too."

"It is rough to sleep in a desert full of monsters, but you don't have to do all that for me," he said, although he smiled at his concern.

"Maybe I don't have to, but I want to," Gale said, offering a hand. "Come on, let's go."

"All right," he said, accepting the warp over to that town. He'd have to warp himself back over to the Zora village in order to pick Epona back up, but she was in a good stable. He wasn't going to turn down this chance to talk with Gale again.


	8. Deserters and Fugitives

**Chapter 8: Deserters and Fugitives**

Joachim had gotten to make observations on the three Sudain generals, so he had a good idea of what they were like. Kimbera was a practical woman, keeping her black hair short and her uniforms simple. She was the cavalry leader, specializing in archery, horsemanship, and both at once. However, she didn't strike one as a tomboy. She cared about the horses and people she led in a feminine way, sharing experiences and not being as competitive as a man would be. When he'd been called to address a problem in the area the knights' bunk area, he caught a glimpse of her off duty in a blue dress. She wasn't trying to emulate a military man; she was being a military woman.

As the oldest of the Sudai troops here, Leonidas commanded a lot of respect from them all. Even Ganon gave more weight to what he had to say. His hair was graying but strands of a straw blond still stood out. His skin was starting to wrinkle but he was strong enough that he held back during practice spars in the courtyard. With all his experience, he was Ganon's second in command, in charge of the foot soldiers as well as being a battlefield tactician. But he wasn't well versed in political or civilian matters, as he'd been quietly embarrassed to ask Joachim about how to manage the remaining Hylian servants and contact leaders of various communities without intimidating them.

Velken was the hardest of the three to figure out as Joachim didn't see much of him. He was in charge of the special forces, a group that included an assassin (at least one, and Velken was definitely another), some combat engineers (who may have had ninja training as their duties included sneaking behind enemy lines and sabotaging equipment), and various others who didn't fit the molds of normal soldiers. Of what could be seen about Velken, he was always alert and attentive whenever Joachim saw him. Velken had managed to get him to admit to communicating with those outside the castle, simply by asking if he was mailing things with magic. However, the mysterious general merely shrugged at that and showed no signs of stopping him from doing so. Joachim did take more caution after that in case those letters were being screened. He did appear to be most loyal personally towards Ganon out of the three, but there was a time or two when even he looked uneasy.

Joachim cooperated with Kimbera and Leonidas, making sure to ask daily if they needed any assistance. This paid off one evening when he got called out to the lobby of the castle. There were a lot of the Sudain soldiers in here, he noted as Velken brought him out of his office. However, there weren't any monsters to be seen. The other two generals were standing in the center of the lobby, waiting. "What matter did you call me out on?" Joachim asked, keeping his voice steady. His heart was beating a little faster than usual. Even if Ganon stated he was necessary to keeping things running here, he showed no hesitation in killing those who were a problem.

"Ganon left early this morning on some detail and we haven't heard back from him yet," Leonidas said, handing him a ring that seemed like a claw that would grip the finger. "While he's out, try this on."

That was the Falcon Ring; he recognized it from the book Zelda had shown him on one of his visits recently. This had to be treated the same as an attempt to purchase a valuable item as a lower cost by not showing his interest in the object. Instead, he let himself appear confused at the unexpected offer. "All right," he said, accepting the ring. Leonidas indicated his left ring finger as he passed it over; Zelda had mentioned that it was to go on the off-hand for a few reasons. When Joachim slipped it on, there was a brief shine of gold from it. Excellent. "Hmm? What is this?"

These were soldiers, so their reactions were mostly quiet. But as Joachim glanced around, he saw a mix of relief, tension, and concern in them. "It's the Falcon Ring, a holy artifact of our land and one that should only be wearable by our leader," Kimbera said.

Leonidas nodded. "It will draw blood from the unworthy. But to shine like that, it shows that the great falcon is looking for a new leader and has some interest in you." As he moved his right hand, Joachim noticed that there was a fresh scratch around his ring finger there. Same with Kimbera's left hand ring finger.

"Wait, but why did you give this to me then?" Joachim asked. "I do a lot of the paperwork around here and I'm a Hylian. You all seemed devoted to Ganon, which I found admirable on its own merits."

"We're military leaders, but we're not necessarily the best at leading all peoples," Leonidas said. "Ganon was, even as a very young king. He earned everyone's admiration through his selfless devotion to us. But he's changed greatly in the past year, almost into an entirely different person. He hasn't worn that ring in some time, so we were unsure of things. Seeing the falcon react to you, we don't need to be unsure anymore."

"We weren't sure if we should take the Falcon Ring back to Sudai and test it on someone else," Kimbera explained. "That would mean one of us getting out and trying to find someone who could be qualified. But then you were here making sure things got done under a lot of pressure from us invaders. You seemed like a good candidate. As you can wear the ring, you need to come with us back to Sudai to take the actual trial of the king."

Leonidas nodded. "It's your choice. Since the ring shows that the great falcon has no interest in keeping Ganon as our king, we'll be taking this chance to leave the castle to Ganon and the monsters. We can take you and the other Hylians out as well, but we must take this chance while Ganon is away."

"Could we get Zelda and Impa out of the tower too?" Joachim asked. "I can get the castle servants ready to leave quickly, but I'd rather not leave them alone here."

"We're not sure how long Ganon will be away, but we've got the keys to the tower room," Kimbera said.

"I will try to remain in place here as long as I can," Velken said. "It's good that we know the falcon's wishes now. Still, I do not think it is wise to keep Ganon unwatched. If Zelda and her handmaiden can't be taken with you, I will make sure that they continue to be treated humanely."

"Thank you, Velken, though I hope we can get everyone else out safely," Joachim said, giving him a bow of his head. "All right, I'll send the message to the servants and gather a few of my things. Do you want the ring back or should I hang onto it?"

"You keep it for now," Leonidas said. "Just be warned that if you do fail the trial, you will probably lose that finger for doing so."

"That sounds reasonable," he said. After agreeing to let Leonidas continue directing the Sudain soldiers, Joachim went back to his office to get prepared for the escape. He kept a prayer in his heart that Zelda would be able to come with them.

* * *

It was a lie to be saying that Hyrule had a faultless and clean history. There were plenty of ambitious rulers, foolish rulers, greedy rulers, and even some rulers who could be as bad as the villains of legend. While the Hylians had stayed in power under the favor of their goddesses for thousand of years, there were a great many peoples that had been extinguished to keep them in power. Even so, Zelda hadn't wanted to think of her own parents as being among those bad apples.

They had constrained her and hadn't taught her much useful for times like these. But as she tried to feel some of the late spring breeze through the barred window, she couldn't remember bad memories from her childhood. She'd played with other children in the castle gardens; she had enjoyed the lessons in dancing, sewing, and singing. Until she'd gotten to be thirteen and grew an interest in how the kingdom actually worked, she'd been fine with being a princess like that.

While she remembered it fondly, she also realized that she'd been protected from many things back then. She had childhood friends like Joachim, but they were always children of nobility. She was kept safe and separate. Because of that, she'd known nothing of the wars that turned other children like Link into orphans. Her parents had liked her like that, not so much when she wanted to try a hand at official governance even though she was the heir to the throne.

What had their plans for her really been? She would have liked to find their journals to figure that out; she knew that her father at least kept some. They could have put pressure on Ganon in order to direct him towards his role in this; the idea disgusted her, but it made sense. Similarly, they had pushed her into this situation. Maybe their refusal of Joachim had been a part of that? That seemed nonsensical to her because he would be good in a position of leadership. But what could they have done about Link? If they meant to have him take the role of a hero, it would have made more sense to give him the mercenary's license when he first asked for it.

There was so much like this that she wasn't sure of. The Triforce of Wisdom gave her visions, but she hadn't yet figured out how to direct that power to find out these things. Instead, it gave her some glimpses into things that were occurring now. Like how Link was caught up in a rough battle between a pair of monsters who only appeared at dawn and dusk. But as for why Link had been put onto the path of being a hero? Zelda knew that he'd been trained by a former knight who had quit his service to Hyrule a few months before the war against Sudai started. Gregio Rivers had disagreed with Albertos on some policies the king had instated and decided to go his own way. However, she knew that because of her research into the castle records, not because of the Triforce.

"Knowing the past is a guide into the future," she said to herself.

"True, but what do you mean by that?" Impa asked, rubbing her hands.

"The Triforce isn't being as helpful as I would like it to be," Zelda said. "There's not much information about how to use this kind of power, at least not that I've found. I just want to be able to do something more, not just fulfill a passive role."

"You'd think there was some way to direct that sight, but I don't know much information on that either."

Zelda looked over at her. "Are you doing all right?"

"It's just some aches of old age," she said. "I served your mother since she was a child as well, remember?"

She nodded. "Right. Did you know about what my father spoke of on that day?"

"I knew she'd gone with him," Impa said, moving from where she was and checking the area around the door. "They said they were going to get a peaceful surrender, but that's what they told everyone outside their closest circle. At the time, we believed that the Sudain royalty had set a trap for them in agreeing to the meeting."

"It's still hard to believe that she'd be cruel enough to laugh at a kid who'd just seen his parents die," Zelda said.

"She was rather unpleasant as a princess," she said. "I tried to teach her to be better, but everyone else around her made her feel privileged in everything. She didn't want to take on any responsibilities or real work, but threw a fit if she felt she was due praise when she received none. Many times, I considered quitting because she seemed nothing like how someone called Princess Zelda should be. But the pay was good and it was very worth it to get transferred over to you when you were born."

Zelda smiled a little at that. "You managed to teach me better than her, I know that."

"I had raised my own children by that point as well." Then she held a hand up, pointing to the door. Zelda nodded and got up from the desk to lean on the windowsill. While there were no letters this time to shuffle aside, she didn't want to give them an excuse to take the writing materials away.

After a couple of knocks, their prison door was unlocked. It turned out to be the general Velken; he had dark skin and dark hair, but not the right nose shape to be strongly of Gerudo descent like Ganon. "Come, you're leaving this castle to escape," he said.

Impa was skeptical, raising an eyebrow at that. Zelda went over to her side. "He's being honest," she said, able to tell that much from the Triforce. "But why free us now?"

"Ganon's out of the castle," he replied. "That's why now. Why at all, there's many reasons we've lost faith in him. The monsters he's summoned have vastly increased in numbers this past week and they're impartial, even running amok in Sudai. We asked that he at least keep our homeland peaceful, but he does nothing about it. If he abandons Sudai like that, Sudai will abandon him. We don't know when he'll get back, so get moving."

"We will, thank you," Zelda said, giving a bow before heading out with Impa. Velken and a couple of his men headed down with them, keeping an eye out for the monsters that Ganon had left behind. Along the way, they saw ghostly knights patrolling empty halls and an armored Stallord keeping watch in the throne room. Velken kept their pace so that they caught gaps in such patrols as they headed to the castle lobby.

Down there, Joachim was talking with the other two Sudain generals. He saw her out of the corner of his eye and broke into a smile of relief. It made Zelda feel excited as they could be out of here soon. "Zelda, I'm glad to see you out of that tower," he said.

"I'm glad to see you too, but let's get out of the castle city entirely first," she said, though she did hurry over to give him a hug.

"You're right," he said, then quickly explained the plan. He wore the Falcon Ring now, which the generals here had given to him. Since he did, they were leaving with Kimbera for Sudai in order to have Joachim take their trial. Kimbera and her troops had the fastest horse unit so that they would be out in the countryside for less time. With all the monsters roaming around, they were going to stick together even if the larger group was more noticeable.

The stable master for Hyrule Castle arranged for them to take four horses that could keep up with Kimbera's cavalry for the trip. The other castle horses would be taken out as well in order to help the castle servants and others get out. Meanwhile, Leonidas was going to take a company of foot soldiers and find an area in the surrounding countryside to make an encampment in Hyrule Field. They were going to find the scattered Hylian knights who would be loyal and protect the roads for civilians who were trying to find safe places to stay. It would also give them a place to potentially retake the castle from Ganon.

As Zelda was getting used to the horse she was given and heading out with the others, she found herself thinking about that possibility. If it was any other invader, she would have the advantage of knowing the castle to help direct (or at least advise) an effort to retake it. But Ganon held the castle now as a villain meant to be an embodiment of evil. It would take the Master Sword or arrows enchanted with holy light to truly defeat him. They might be able to drive him out, but he would remain out there as a threat to the whole world.

She rode out with the Sudai cavalry and left the castle town. Out under the broad sky with a wide expanse of fields in front of her, she felt free for a moment. But there were monsters out there, even under the friendly sun. They were still in a time of darkness.

Now, though, maybe now she could actually be doing things to end that.

* * *

Ganon had put all the pieces to this visit to Onduran together a full ten days ago. The monsters there were mostly Armos that wouldn't attack unless touched. With them in key places, he could still keep control over the town. He then spent bits of time as Gale around the college library and the inn so that people there could say that they had seen him around. He'd considered bribing a few or implanting memories with magic so they believed they had interacted with him too. But he'd decided to leave it be like that. If he did things right, Link wouldn't think to investigate him or ask others about him. Besides, his reluctance to speak with others unless needed would help out there.

But then Link got caught up with those Dust Devil Wizzrobes. Due to the way the totem in the desert locked the magic of that area away, Ganon hadn't been able to contact any monsters there or find out more than rumors about the place. He hadn't known that the leading monsters were capable of dragging someone else into their time shifts. He'd kept patient, but it had gotten to the point where he needed Link back in normal time. Ganon had accomplished a lot, including finding the real Septdraco hidden within the castle's wine cellar. But he couldn't keep the ruse up in Onduran up much longer and if the Gorons got past the issues they currently had, Link might do more there independently instead of coming to rely further on Gale.

Fortunately, helping him destroy the dust devil was no issue and intervening allowed him to control how Link entered Onduran at this point. Ganon brought him over to the tavern to get him dinner. Link did decline an offer to get beer with the food, although that would simply have made things easier to get away with at this meeting. As the town was occupied, only locals were in this place; they were talking and trying to forget about everything going on. It was entertaining to see them trying to continue on as if life was normal, ignoring the pair of them who didn't live here.

It made it hard to hear Link's quiet voice as he explained about what happened in the desert. "What about the totem?" Ganon asked.

He tensed again, looking towards the wall for a second. Then he recalled Ganon's earlier advice and looked over at him. "Sorry. I thought it was strange that the fire from that was so intense from just the Helmaroc's suicide attack. It looked normal, though I felt it was creepy when I got close to it."

"It had to hold strong and old magic to keep the Gerudo Desert cursed like it did," Ganon explained. "What you saw was a result of that magic being disrupted. We might not see the full effects of its destruction for a while, though."

"Oh right, that makes sense," Link said, wary as a barmaid came over to ask if they wanted some more drinks.

They were done eating now, Ganon thought. "Want to come up to my room? It'll be quieter there."

It was amusing to see how his eyes brightened from being happy to be asked that, then darted to look down at some thought that made him shy when asked by someone he was falling in love with. Then he drew his shoulders in as he remembered that the bar maid was right there and what was she going to think of that? Then Link tried to calm back down and act like this wasn't anything like that. "Sure, it's noisy down here."

"Could you get a pitcher of water and some glasses sent up to room 23?" Ganon asked the barmaid. Once she walked off to take care of that, they left the table and headed up the narrow stairs to the guest rooms.

The room itself was basic enough: one single bed with a tan blanket on it, a standing lamp, a table with a couple of overstuffed chairs, and a small room with a toilet to the side. It had the thick curtains drawn closed and a few books on marketing and metalwork to support his story. Since they could close the door here, Link relaxed and was able to relate the rest of his story on what happened. The phantom had cursed him to wear that summoning chain, which had some great potential attached to it.

"You've been doing such interesting things and I'm sure you'll end up doing even more," Ganon told him. "Although you could stand to speak up louder, especially in noisier spaces like downstairs."

"I don't usually speak up unless I need to give a horse orders," Link said. "I hope Epona's doing well, since I left her in the Zora town."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you again," Ganon said. "But it's night now so she'll likely be asleep. How about you? Do you mind staying up a little while longer?"

"The potion is keeping my aches dull, so I'm fine for now," he said.

"You should take another before you sleep because you were cutting it close with that battle," he said. Link was taking magical damage hard. Perhaps he should get some extra magical protection before continuing on? The Gorons might be able to help with that. Link did need to stay alive long enough to get the Triforce of Courage to manifest.

"Right, the Dust Devil was powerful," Link said. "I don't have any potions left."

"The inn might have some on hand, let me send them a message," he said, calling on a card to make the request. But not of the inn; this would go to one of his intelligent Wizzrobes to fetch a potion and make a delivery bag to send it to them.

"You don't have to do that," Link said.

"I will because I don't want you running around only half-healed," Ganon insisted, sending the message off. "In the meantime, we can work on those voice lessons."

"All right," he said, looking down again.

Ganon reached over and tapped his chin, getting him to look up and smile bashfully. "While you are awfully cute like that, I don't think we want anyone else to see their hero like this."

Link chuckled. "Maybe not."

Since the chairs were far enough apart that he had to lean over to touch him, Ganon got up and went over to push his shoulders back. "Try not to get hunched over with your shoulders drawn in; it makes you look and feel defensive. Open up those shoulders and relax," he had to nudge him some to get him in a more confident posture. "That's better. Your body and mind speak to each other, so if you can get your body into a more confidant poise, you'll feel more confident no matter who you're talking to. You feel better like that?"

He had that confidence in him, since he easily shifted to look less worried and more self-assured. "Yes, but then I am with you."

Ganon smiled at him for that. "I'm glad you feel that way, but I'm sure that you can do better around others. You may have had speaking difficulties in the past, but right now, it sounds like you're convincing yourself that you're not good at it. Get that defeatism out of your thoughts and you'll be just fine."

"I'm not too used to talking, but with some practice, maybe..."

He leaned down. "Say that again, but in a volume like I use."

At first, Link bit his lip and started moving back to a nervous posture. Ganon kept one of his shoulders held down, so he made himself relax again. He was still soft when he started, but made himself get to a more normal tone. "I'm not too used to talking, but with some practice, maybe I can."

"Right, you can," Ganon said. Now, he needed some random phrases before getting to something not random. "Would you repeat a few sentences for me? Start with: the general store is the one with the red sign."

"The general store is the one with the red sign," Link repeated. As he didn't have to think on what to say, he spoke clearly and with a normal conversational volume. It was noticeably recited, with no inflections nor emotions.

Still, he nodded since there'd been no problem. "If you need help with this, please ask the master blacksmith, not the students."

That took him a moment to recite the longer sentence. "If you need help with this, please ask the master blacksmith, not the students."

And Link had written that his problem had been a childhood lisp. "Sleep by the seashore soon after sunset as the city shuts out the stars."

Before trying something with all those 's' sounds, he took a deep breath and spoke carefully. "Sleep by the seashore soon after sunset as the city shuts out the stars."

Ganon ran his finger down Link's cheek. "Try that sentence again, but more naturally. Like you're advising someone to do that."

He nodded and tried again. "Sleep by the seashore soon after sunset as the city shuts out the stars." That did sound more natural, but he was losing volume again.

"Almost got it, again."

After a moment, Link leaned back in the chair and looked up at him. "Sleep by the seashore soon after sunset as the city shuts out the stars."

"That's a lot better, I could listen to you all night," Ganon said, making him smile like he was having fun now. "All right, let's try having you say something else, like… the dogs are being too noisy tonight. And again, sound natural, like you're saying it in a conversation."

"All right. The dogs are being too noisy tonight."

He wanted to be closer to have a great affect, so Ganon put a hand on the arm of Link's chair. "Good, good. Now try… you are a light of happiness in my nights."

Link immediately blushed at that, still smiling but he couldn't find the voice to speak with even if he had the words picked out for him.

Smiling back, Ganon stroked his face again. "Or do you not feel like that?"

* * *

Link couldn't remember having this much fun talking with someone before, even if he was just reciting things that Gale told him to. It was like a game, although the only thing to be won was getting it to last longer. But to say that? He could feel like his heart was beating in his throat and he wondered if Gale thought that even if they mostly wrote letters to each other.

"It's not that," he said, hearing his voice shake. He held onto Gale's wrist. "You are a light of happiness in my nights." Was that an innuendo? Or just some romantic phrasing?

He was happy to hear that if the way his gold eyes softened meant anything. "Nice, but it still could be more natural sounding."

Right, he had to be saying this, not forcing himself to say it. "You are a light of happiness in my nights." And it was happiness just saying that much!

Now Gale was practically sitting on the arm of the chair, even closer. "Better, but now try saying it like you really mean it."

It was too bad this room didn't have a couch, Link found himself thinking. "I could mean it, I mean, I do mean it. You are a light of happiness in my nights."

Apparently, Gale had the same thoughts as he did as he tugged him to come over to the bed instead. "Even better," Gale said. Now he was speaking softer, but the way he did it made Link feel kind of giddy. That intensified as Gale put an arm around him and spoke so close to his ear that Link could feel his breath there. "Now say it like you mean to seduce me."

"I don't know how to do that," Link said. He really wanted to; he didn't want to mess something like that up and make Gale think he was boring.

"If you mess up, I'll just forgive you and have you try again," Gale said. "I really want to hear that from you. Relax, do it how you think will work."

It was true that for this night, Link felt more than happy to be with him. And he wanted more times like this. Keeping close, looking at him eye to eye, he said, "You are a light of happiness in my nights."

"That wasn't exactly seductive, but that was honest enough that it was seductive anyhow," he said. "What do you want to say? Anything at all, be really honest to how you feel right now."

There were thoughts in his mind that Link had no idea how to articulate. Some of it was really reckless. He ended up saying the first thoughts that he could put words to. "Would you kiss me?"

For a second, it seemed like Gale would. Then he had to add on, "Is that all you want?"

"No," Link said before he could stop himself.

"We can start there," Gale said, and almost kissed him when something threw the window open with a bang. Gale still pulled him closer like he wasn't going to let go, but then saw the little winged eye that had opened the window. He made an aggravated mutter into, "What now?"

It was like waking out a dream when Gale let him go and took an envelope from the creature. Link's thoughts were in a haze from being focused completely on him to getting a rude awakening to things that were going on in the rest of the world. "What is that?" Link asked, wanting it to leave so they could get back to before that interruption.

"It's a Seeker, something we use to scout out places and send messages," Gale said, his voice already back to conducting normal business. It was almost impressive. Hopefully, he could shift back just as quickly. But the brief scowl on his face didn't look good for seeing that. "Ganon, huh? This is bad. Sorry, Link, I have to go take care of this right away or it's going to turn into even more of a headache. Go ahead and spend the night here, and here's the potion." He tossed the bottle with a blue potion on the bed, then closed the window and went to grab a traveling bag.

Link got up from the bed and followed him. "Right now?"

He stopped, looking back at him reluctantly. Then he sighed and nodded. "Yes, I'm really sorry about this. We'll meet up again sometime soon, I promise. I'll insist they leave me alone for the night next time."

"A, all right, be careful out there," he said.

"Take care of yourself now." Then he and the Seeker left, shutting the door and leaving him alone in this room.

It didn't feel right to be alone now. His heart was still racing and he felt warm from that. Dropping back down on the bed, Link picked up the potion bottle and opened that up to drink. He might as well not waste the gift. When he closed his eyes, he could still feel how Gale's arm had felt wrapped around him. How close he'd been, the moisture from his breath. How they'd nearly kissed if it hadn't been for whatever idiot out there was messing up in order to call him away so suddenly. Link didn't care about what else he was supposed to be doing, he wanted to get back with Gale and get that kiss.

This room was too quiet. Link got up to open the window just to get some nighttime sounds from out there. But, it was quiet out there too. It could be monsters around town that kept the animals spooked and silent. Maybe it was the monsters that Ganon was calling on that had caused whatever trouble that called Gale away. Even if it wasn't, that kind of thing was going to get in the way of them being together. It wasn't going to get better until he could do all that had been asked of him in order to get rid of Ganon.

Clenching a fist to his chest, he said to himself, "I have to put an end to Ganon's threat so Gale can be with me."

He'd been searching for the medals since it logically seemed the best way to help the most people, to go along with what Zelda asked of him. But this idea burned strong within him. It made him feel like this really was the way he was meant to go, the way he wanted to go even if it would be difficult. The risks and effort would be worth it at the end.

For tonight, though, he did need to rest up and make sure he was really in good shape after the battle with the Dust Devil. His mind was soon off replaying through this evening and wondering where things might have gone if they'd not been interrupted. He didn't have to worry what kind of recklessness might go on in his dreams.

* * *

Zelda had done some horseback riding before, but not for a few hours straight riding briskly across the open fields. The saddles helped, but she was grateful that Kimbera and the others agreed to stop for the night. For a little while, she paced around the campfire in order to stretch her legs out. They weren't even at the pass between the mountains yet; they'd have to ride get to Kakariko tomorrow and take another day through the pass itself. And then the castle in Sudai would be at least another two day's journey from that point. But maybe at the pass, they could arrange to get a wagon that would be easier for her to ride in.

Her and Joachim; he seemed just as glad to have the long ride done with for today. Even Impa was worn out, sitting by the fire and seemingly just thinking there. Joachim came over to Zelda when they happened to look at each other. "I've read adventures where the hero rides all day to get somewhere, but now I wonder how people really do that," he said, keeping his voice low so he didn't bother the cavalrymen with them. "The horses would be really tired too."

"Hopefully that means we can take several breaks throughout the days on our way there," Zelda said. "And it's not easy to talk to the others when riding. We might be able to slow down to something more reasonable as we get further from Hyrule Castle."

"Are you holding up okay?" he asked, taking her arm.

"I'm a little excited to be going so far from the castle," she admitted. "But I also feel guilty for feeling like that; we're going for important reasons." Smiling at him, she whispered, "And we'd better be a good polite couple around others because we need their support."

Joachim chuckled and kept his hold on her loose. "The things we have to do to keep a good face." Then he whispered, "Do you think they'll at least let us share a tent?"

While she tried to bite down on it, a giggle escaped Zelda. "That may be too much when we aren't officially engaged. And as much as my parents stood in our way, it's rather too soon to be making it official."

"Ah, well I can continue to be patient," he said, looking at her warmly for a moment. "If this works out as we hope, I'll finally be able to match you when we do wed."

"That never mattered to me," she said. "I have confidence that you can pass their trial. Just keep in mind that in doing this, you're accepting the Sudain people as your own. We will have to work hard to earn their full trust, but it will give us some extra security no matter how things play out here in Hyrule."

He nodded, his expression turning more serious. "Of course. But Zelda, I'm not quite sure how to say this, but you seem very different tonight. A lot has gone on in these three weeks, so of course you'd change with all that. But it seems like you've become something more," he clicked his tongue trying to put words to it.

As she knew what he wanted to say, her heart sank a bit. "I've become the princess of the legends, right? The Zelda, not just a Zelda of the Hyrule family line."

"You're right," he said uneasily. "There are times when I feel like I shouldn't be so close to you, but it's only been lately that it's more than a passing worry. But I want to be close to you. Every minute you were up in that tower and I wasn't, I was worried about you and wished I could do something about it all. I can now, so I don't want to be apart from you. I want to be able to keep you safe."

"We can't let my role in these times force us apart," Zelda said firmly. "My heart is decided on you and I won't be swayed. I'm really glad that this chance came to let others see how great you really are."

They looked at each other for a moment, then Joachim tweaked her nose playfully. "You know, we're making this really hard on ourselves to keep the good polite face."

She went ahead and laughed at that, stepping back. "It's the night, it's always the time our worries bubble out and we want a way out of worry." Zelda looked around. "Like I'd like to take a walk with you, but we really should be staying within this line of tents where we're protected."

"And how protected are you?" a dark stern voice asked her.

Her yelp of surprise caught the attention of everyone there, calling their attention to how they'd somehow missed Ganon entering their camp. Joachim tried to stammer out something, grabbing her arm and backing away with her. Shoving him aside without any effort, Ganon got hold of her instead. Zelda turned her head trying to make sure he was okay; he'd been thrown to the ground but was already getting back to his feet. And past him, Impa had gotten up from the fire and moved with a few others to get her back.

"Reckless fools," Ganon said, raising his other hand into a fist and making iron spikes shoot out of the ground to stop them from getting close. Some of them cut right up through Impa's body, dropping her to the ground with blood all over her back. "If you all wish to desert, fine, but I am not giving her up."

"Impa!" Zelda called out, but the scene was swirling around her. Black wings warped them all the way back to the room at the top of the tower. Not seeing anything else out of fury, she turned back around and punched at him. "You!"

Blocking with his other hand easily, Ganon then struck her face with the back of his hand. "Don't try to pick a fight with me, princess. Stay up here in the tower like I told you to."

"Why did you have to do that?!" she demanded to know, tears burning down her face.

"Because you ran off," he said sharply. In a jarring switch, he then spoke sadly. "And because no one was able to stop the force of legend."

"Stop faking that, you are a horrible villain!" It was her anger talking more than anything.

He looked at her in surprise for a moment, then changed over to a chilling impassive face. "Very well, I knew I couldn't keep that up long around the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom." Then he grabbed hold of her shoulders and lifted her off the ground. "I told you from the very start: I need you dead. This whole farce keeps your bloodline in place as the unquestionably divine rulers of the blessed kingdom of Hyrule. However, there is one major fault to this bloodline of yours. There is only one girl to be named Zelda born in every generation. If I kill you now before you ever have a daughter, then that blood line will end and the whole charade that is the Legend of Zelda will end."

"Then why don't you do that?" she asked. She realized that she was being irrational now, but she couldn't care that she was.

Strangely, he kept just as uncaring and told her straight out, "If I do, then the Triforce of Wisdom will make itself scarce. While you're alive, it's going to stick with you. You're staying alive until I can figure out how to resolve that issue. But if you push the wrong buttons with me, I will decide it's not worth it and just get rid of you." Then he threw her onto the bed. "You're staying here and that's that." Then he vanished out of the room; the door briefly rattled as he made sure it was locked.

And the room went silent for a moment. Zelda made a small scream of frustration and hit the bed. Then she recalled how she'd last seen Impa and shuddered. "Impa?" she said closing her eyes. "Come on, please? Please let me see that Impa's fine, please?"

Images passed through her mind, but not of the present. Not even of the near future. It was her memories of the past. Impa used to read her bedtime stories that praised morals such as fairness and sincerity. There were colorful illustrations of children did their chores and treated each other nicely, then went out to play with a wonder about how great the world was. After the stories were done, she'd hum an old lullaby and stay at her side until she was asleep. That was when Zelda had been a child, but she felt a resonance of the past. Others in her role had fond memories of such bedtime rituals, some of them even with Impa there humming the same song.

As long as Impa was there, Zelda would be safe. Her Impa lifted her as a child on a horse for the first time and led it around so Zelda could get a feel for how to ride it. She was there in her early teens when she and her parents began butting heads. Unless Zelda had gone too far, Impa was on her side to listen to her grumble later on. If Zelda had lost her temper too much, Impa would remind her of that and then listen to what had gone on. Impa had never failed until the day that Ganon took over the castle.

And she failed again just tonight. The spell had been a warning to everyone else, but to Impa? That was a warning that Ganon gave to Zelda. He was willing to kill those she cared about to punish her for disobeying him. While he got no pleasure from such deaths, he had no guilt either. Both she and Joachim were left with only bruises physically, but Impa? Impa was dead. There had never been a chance to save her. If they had refused to leave, then she might be alive.

"Impa..." Zelda said, shaking and sobbing as she grabbed for a pillow out of wanting comfort.

If the Triforce hadn't appeared with her, this wouldn't be happening at all.

* * *

Ganon knew his human troops were going to abandon him. He wanted them to; it was going to become dangerous for anyone to be near him in the future. From his observations of his three former generals and Joachim, he knew that they'd take him, and he'd want to take Zelda. And he had planned for his meeting with Link to get interrupted. But for all that to happen at once? It was such horrible timing on the interruption; the Seeker with the potion was supposed to come in at his signal, not as soon as it arrived. He killed the thing when he got back to the castle with it, before seeking out Zelda.

At least he had a strong army of monsters thanks to the fall of the totem pole in Gerudo Desert. It had been locking away a significant portion of his power as Ganon after the whole incident with the Twili in the past had not destroyed him completely. Its makers had intended for it to seal off his soul again, but he didn't let that happen. Since some of the castle patrols had been held by his human soldiers, Ganon called on several types of the stronger monsters to come back and hold those positions instead. If anyone was going to try getting to Zelda now, they were going to face heavy opposition.

While he was assigning positions, Ganon noticed that there was a third human in the castle. It was Velken, waiting in the castle library. Was he that loyal or did he have ulterior motives? Ganon made sure the castle and town were secure, then went back to the library to find out. Velken shifted his head once Ganon appeared among the shelves just out of his sight. "My liege?"

"What happened here?" Ganon asked.

"The others stole the Falcon Ring," Velken answered, turning to face him. "They gave it to the Hylian clerk and stole off with everyone else, including the princess."

"I've brought her back, only her," he said. "Why are you here?"

"I swore loyalty to you and I'm not going to leave with them," he said. There was no caution or hesitation on Velken's part in saying this.

Ganon still wasn't sure he could be trusted. But he was here. "Good, at least you remember that. See to it that the princess is taken care of. I have no desire to be near her until it's time for her to play her part."

"Yes sir," Velken said. But instead of going right off, he said, "If I may ask? What are we going to do with the others gone?"

As he felt the goals should be obvious, he didn't mind saying something about them. "The same thing I've been planning on all along. I will call on the dragons sealed within the Septdraco and take command of the full Triforce. Once both are accomplished, nothing will be able to stop me, not even if you abandon me as well. I'm nearly ready to complete the former goal. Then I will find out how to secure the Triforce of Wisdom and force the Triforce of Courage to appear."

"The dragons alone will cause a lot of destruction," Velken said. But his neutral facade was faltering; the idea bothered him. He couldn't be completely counted on now.

Not that it mattered; if he chose to stay close, he was choosing a great risk of death. "If the people submit to my rule, they won't be troubled. If they don't, they're on their own. I will let them know that."

"Very well, as long as they know," he said. "I'll see to the princess' security."

"Then leave," Ganon ordered. Velken vanished into thin smoke.

This evening had been messy, but things were rolling along again. Ganon went back to check over his notes about the Septdraco. Dragons did not like to submit to other beings and even he as the bearer of the Triforce of Power had to take caution of how he handled them. Although, there was the temptation of simply letting the dragons rampage freely. It would bring about so much destruction and despair. That could be so satisfying, to be responsible for the world's ruin.

No. He had to stop thinking like that. He was going to take control of the world, not destroy it. He had been working so long towards this that nothing was going to stop him now. He was going to destroy the legends, not the world.

And it would be even better if he could get Link to be hopelessly devoted to him in the process.


	9. A Cut Too Close

**Chapter 9: A Cut Too Close**

When Link arrived in the Zora town with the Song of Soaring, he immediately went to the inn and apologized to the innkeeper for leaving his horse there so long. "I got caught up with two monsters who go from dawn to dusk without stopping at the days or nights between them."

"Oh, the Dust Devil twins?" the innkeeper asked. "Don't worry about it, you're not the first to have that kind of trouble with them."

"I will be the last," he said, passing over the money he owed for all that time.

She accepted the payment with a bow. "That's wonderful, but I do have some bad news. Although it might not be much trouble to a hero like you, the population of monsters through all of Hyrule has increased dramatically in these past two weeks. We no longer have the Zora Eaters to worry about, but we're still unable to leave our town for long. Many of the road guards had to be pulled back to protect the waterfall area so the fishers can keep working."

"I'll keep that in mind," Link said.

As he headed to the pasture to get Epona, he wondered how bad it was going to be. There had been Bokoblins and Chus wandering around the river road when he'd come here, neither of which were more than a minor threat. And how should he take this trip over to Death Mountain? He had to take the river road to get Epona out of this area, but then going straight from Narin to Kakariko meant getting close to the castle. The surrounding lands were all open fields with a few towns. It might be best to swing south close to his home province since he knew that area better than the northern fields.

Epona noticed him immediately as he came out of the inn. A few of the Zora children were brushing her down under the eye of an adult; they all backed up when she whinnied and came right over to him. "Good to see you again," Link said with a smile, giving her neck a hug. "Sorry I was gone so long."

She pressed her head against his and whuffled close to his ear, happy just to see him. "You're back!" one of the kids said excitedly. "What did you do in the desert? Did you see the great roc there?"

"Yes, but I need to get back on the road now," he told them. "Have to find the keys to the Master Sword so I can defeat Ganon."

"You can do that!"

"Yeah, we'll be cheering for you here!"

Seeing them jump around all eager in belief, Link felt glad for their encouragement. "Thank you, I'll make sure Hyrule is peaceful again." Then he took Epona towards the stable to put her gear on and head out. She certainly looked well, eager to be going. "Did those kids spoil you while I was gone?" he said to her. "I hope so, we've got an even longer trek ahead of us now."

"You should go see Sophie," one of the Zora kids said as they walked by to leave the pasture. "She said she'd made something for you."

Right, it had been two weeks. "Do you know where she is?" Link asked.

Fortunately, they did and he could go over to the schoolhouse where she and a few other children were studying. Sophie had her gift in her schoolbag, which she got after giving him a hug. It was something Link recalled seeing on the belts of the night guards among the Zoras: a clear orb where a number of the small colorful crystals glowed in liquid, wrapped up in braided netting. "It's a lamp you can take underwater with you," she explained. "If you shake it up, it gets brighter for a long time. And most monsters don't like the light it gives off. The big squids didn't care, but a lot of them like Bokoblins and Tektites won't come near the light."

Link wasn't sure if he'd end up on another underwater trek, but having a lamp that repelled most monsters would be handy for camping. "That's handy, thanks for making it."

"I just did the net, but I hope I made it extra nice for you," Sophie said with a smile. She was walking around normally and looked healthy again, which made Link glad that he'd found her in good time. He excused himself and headed out to leave town with Epona.

The Bokoblins were patrolling the river road rather than the Zoras; Kagarocs were now perched on high points, waiting to dive on the unwary. At some points, it was easier on him to dismount and clear out a group of them with his sword rather than to use his bow and risk them rushing towards Epona. She stamped her hooves and wanted to take turns carefully, to make sure there weren't a bunch of monsters grouped just out of sight. But he was with her; Link spoke often to encourage her to continue on their way. It was enough that he wondered if he should attempt to get a horse more used to running by monsters and take Epona back home to Taven. He didn't want to walk across Hyrule himself and didn't know the Death Mountain area well enough to warp over there with Song of Soaring.

By the time he got to the end of the river road and had the town of Narin back in sight, Link had changed his mind about his route. He would head northward instead, following the roads to find towns and landmarks along the way. When he got done with his business in Death Mountain, he'd take Epona back to Taven. He could use the Song of Soaring to get back to Onduran and various other points around Hyrule then. It might be a hassle at that point if he had to go into other areas like Sudai, which might happen since Ganon was from there. Even so, this was getting too dangerous for her.

More monsters forced him to stop Epona, but these weren't the same as those on the river road. These were gooey quivering masses of gelatin. Some Likelikes were plain while others had antenna that imitated objects like rupees, rocks, or foods. And they weren't just on the road; he could see them all through the streets of Narin, not a person or animal in sight.

"I heard they were bad this year, but not like this," Link said to himself. Were the people in town safe? He dismounted Epona and patted her side. "Stay safe, all right? Run if you have to; I'll call you back when it's clear."

She snorted and took a step away from an approaching Likelike. Link hurried ahead and used the quick draw to dispatch the closest one. While that worked, there were so many around that he didn't want to try that with all of them. They were resistant to his normal attacks and he knew they had a habit of swallowing people whole. He tried out arrows and bombs, but other than the quick draw, it seemed he didn't have any way to kill them off quickly.

After taking out a dozen, the rest of the Likelikes started to back away. Link was partly glad because it let him gather back some arrows and bombs that the others had dropped. Then he looked back to Narin's main street and saw that it was swamped with Likelikes. It was almost mesmerizing watching their strange bodies jiggling in sync. In the middle of it all, a Likelike much larger than the others swallowed up the rest. This cannibalism caused it to swell up even more until it became the size of a small house. Gurgling, it shimmied towards him.

That was going to take a long time to wear down, Link thought. Possibly longer than he could hold out. Now what? He looked around for anything that might help. Over in front of the nearest tavern, there was a trader's wagon full of kegs. Could Likelikes get drunk? Whether they could or not, there was a possibility here. He sprinted towards the wagon and gave it a quick look. The brakes weren't applied, the reins were broken, and there was some blood there. That tugged at his heart; the horses for this trader must have died, possibly the trader as well.

The giant Likelike contorted itself around to expose its gaping maw on top. Link got behind the wagon and gave it an experimental push. Although it was too heavy for him to move on is own, the pull from the Likelike was more than enough to swallow up the wagon full of beer, whiskey, and other spirits. It tried to yank him in as well; Link activated a bomb and hurled it towards the Likelike. He ran away, but the strength of its pull and the lightness enchantment of the Helmaroc feather was almost too much for him.

A muffled explosion sounded behind him; Link skidded forward as he stopped being drawn to the monster. He turned around and saw that it was now a melting pile of rubble. With a second explosion, a shower of colorful rupees cascaded over the area, thumping on the roofs and filling the street. But the boozy fire was still going, reeking of something like bad eggs and burnt milk.

Someone came out of the tavern then. "Did you kill off…?" then he caught a lungful of the stench and gagged.

"We have to get the fire out," Link said. The man nodded and pointed out a box on the tavern's porch. Link pulled on it, setting off a fire alarm that got the remainder of the townspeople into the streets to help stop the fire.

While they got the fire and stench under control, no more Likelikes popped up to disrupt them. The people started cheering and celebrating that the mass of Likelikes was gone. They wanted to thank him by giving him the majority of the rupees that the giant had exploded into. Link had no idea what he'd do with all that money. He insisted that the trader be compensated for the loss of his entire wagon and cargo. Even after that, he had enough to buy another horse and still have too much left over.

"Is there someone I could buy a good horse off of, one that isn't afraid of monsters?" Link asked the tavern's owner.

"I don't think so," he said. "Any horse in this town belongs to a trader or is a work horse."

"I see." Something else came to mind, something that might have made his fight with the dust devil twins easier to endure. "What about a blacksmith? I could use a better shield."

"That I can help you with, we have a master blacksmith here in town who took orders from the Hylian knights regularly." The tavern owner directed him to the blacksmith in question, who agreed that he could finish up a new shield and have it ready by tomorrow morning.

As Link had to wait on that, he took a room at the tavern, then went out to call Epona back into town for the day. He felt more confident with Gale's help, so he spent the day talking with the locals and getting news from them. This got him a first-hand account of the execution of the Hylian king and queen as well as the most recent news: Ganon was threatening to use the Septdraco to release dragons into the world along with his hordes of monsters. How long would it take him to do that? The time he had might be short, but he still had to get to Death Mountain somehow.

He wrote Gale a letter in the evening and plotted out a path to take across the northern fields of Hyrule.

* * *

Dear Gale:

Thanks for all you did for me yesterday. I'm feeling a lot better today, although I really wish it hadn't been cut off that suddenly. I want to see you again soon.

Today was rough in many ways, not just because of wanting to see you. It took me and Epona a lot longer to get down the river road this time due to the masses of Bokoblins and Kagarocs there. When I got into Narin, I found that the town was swamped with Likelikes. Dozens of people and many animals have gotten swallowed up by them. After I dispatched a group in the road, all the rest were swallowed up into one gigantic Likelike. I don't have any good ways of dispatching those monsters, but I managed to make the giant swallow a wagon with beer kegs as well as a lit bomb. That got it to explode into a disgusting fire. Thankfully, the townspeople were able to help put it out.

As I'm waiting on the blacksmith here to fix up a better shield for me, I decided to stick around this town for tonight. But I remembered what you were teaching me last night. With that, I was able to talk with the people here and hear more about what's gone on in the past two weeks. It's a lot easier than I was making things out to be, like you said. It's a huge relief that I'm doing decently now; I'm not sure you could understand that, but again, I'm really grateful you helped out.

How did things turn out with that emergency? I hope your coworkers are fine. Also, would you happen to know where I might be able to get a horse more used to battle? Epona's a good horse, but I've never brought her into battle and she might bolt if monsters get too close to her. I'd like to be able to take her back to Taven and leave her there to be safe, but I have a long distance to travel to get to Death Mountain.

From Link

P.S.: I do have some more time to write tonight.

Dear Link:

I'm glad to know that I could help; I knew you'd be fine. My trade group is safe because I arrived in time to bail them out, but I'm starting to get fed up with them. They're talking about some foolish decisions, like accepting a trade deal with Ganon in order to keep themselves safe. I told them that the offer looks bogus; they agreed that it seemed suspect, but still thought it was a better chance than risking things on our own. If Ganon still had his human troops with them, I might consider taking the offer. But the Sudain troops have scattered out of the castle and I got good word that they've abandoned him as our king. They've apparently got somebody new who wants to take the trial we hold to decide on our leader, but I have to find more information about that to pass on to you.

I wouldn't have trouble with Likelikes, not even a giant one like that. That kind of thing doesn't happen often, but it's known to occur when the population of that monster gets extremely high. You should look into getting some elemental attacks. Attack magic might be difficult to you if you don't have something to cast with. On the other hand, if you can find the right pieces to enchant your bow, elemental arrows would be very handy for you. You might keep an eye out for such parts in shops that sell odds and ends, or one that focuses on magical gear.

And I agree with you that I hated having to cut off our evening together like that. I've never fallen so fast for someone else; you just hit all the right notes for me. Part of me wants to keep respectable and not move on so fast if we meet up again. But I also want to forget all about respectability and just not care what others might think of the two of us being together.

If you really don't care about them either, I could write you something that you'd never want anyone else to see.

From Gale.

* * *

As the sun touched the mountains the Zoras lived on, Link caught a scent that he'd smelled far too much in the past few days: magical fire. There was a grove of trees nearby, obscuring what was around the next turn of the road. Was it red Wizzrobes, fire archers, or another kind of monster? He clutched the reins tighter as Epona kept running along the road. The next town was some distance ahead. If they kept stopping for these battles, they wouldn't reach it until after dark. "Come on, Epona, we might outrun them," he said.

There was a woman's scream from the other side of the trees; sounds of fighting were just in hearing.

"You run away from them, I'm going to help," Link said, signaling her to go faster. From her ears, Link could tell that Epona didn't like that. She still followed his lead, bringing him around the trees and in sight of the battle.

From his quick glance, he saw a wagon with a recently extinguished roof, a few frightened people, one knight with a shield marking him as a Hylian knight, two other knights with Sudain arms, four bulky Moblin pigmen being kept from the civilians, three armored horses, and a red Wizzrobe trying to hide within the trees so it could set the wagon on fire again. Link turned Epona closer to the trees so he could dismount quickly by the Wizzrobe and slash at it. It had been trying to cast, leaving it open to being struck down in one blow. With his horse running away from the battle, Link then turned to join the three knights in fighting the Moblins.

Two of the Moblins went down quickly once he joined. The Hylian knight glanced over the area that the civilians were in. "You have a bow?" he asked.

"Yes, took out one Wizzrobe," Link said.

"There were three, look to take out the other two," the knight said, then went over to the civilians to protect them closer.

Two others. Link swapped out his sword for his bow and looked into the trees. Before long, he spotted the red of one Wizzrobe deeper in the trees. It warped away after his arrow struck it. Sticking to the outside of the small grove, he searched for it or the other. The next flash of red was actually a fireball that he had to catch with his new shield. It was heavier than his wooden shield, but also larger and made to deflect such magic. Fortunately, he managed to send the fireball into the ground rather than into a tree. The next chance he had must have been a different Wizzrobe as his arrow didn't destroy it. Then the pair appeared outside the trees and he had to fire at them quickly to get rid of them before they attacked the civilians.

By then, the other two Moblins had been dispatched as well. "Thanks for helping," one of the Sudain knights said to him. "Actually, aren't you the one who dispatched the Zora Eaters?"

"Yes, I am," Link said. There were a couple of the civilians who had burns on them, but their friends were already taking care of them now that the danger had passed. Three children were with the group, still scared and quiet. "Is this everybody?"

"All except the horses that had been pulling the wagon," the knight said. "We got jumped from the trees there and a Wizzrobe snapped the harnesses."

"Did they go off that way?" he asked, pointing where Epona had been running. "I have to get mine..."

A horse's scream from that direction, alarming him even more than when he'd heard this group first. Link sprinted off without a second thought as another one cried out. By the time he got there, three horses were down and a Lizardfos with a small pack of Bokoblins were nearby. How dare they… Link focused solely on the monsters, wiping out two of the Bokoblins with a quick draw before challenging the Lizardfos. With its two short swords, it kept blocking him with one and stabbing him with the other. Then it had the gall to waggle its tongue at him; Link stabbed it in the face for that one and followed up with a strike of all his strength. Something hit him in the back, probably one of the Bokoblins. Link didn't care and kept striking the Lizardfos until it went up in smoke with its death.

After destroying another Bokoblin, he turned and realized that one of the Sudain knights had helped him. The rest were already dead. His mind still burned with rage, but there was still some hope that maybe she wasn't here. With the monsters gone, she might come over to him and be glad he was all right. He looked over the fallen horses and… no. No, Epona was there and she was already gone. Those wounds were deep, not something that could be survived.

"I'm sorry, but we have to take care of the living," the knight said, putting a hand on Link's shoulder. "Want to come to Ruto with us?"

He hated leaving her like this, but the knight had a point. Not able to think of anything for the shock, Link nodded and followed him back over to the wagon. They managed to get two of the knights' horses attached to the wagon so they could hurry to get to town. On seeing his injury, a woman who knew healing magic fixed that for him, letting him use his arms without pain. Link brought out his bow and kept an eye out as best he could. Right now, he didn't feel like talking.

The others did, so he learned that this group was the last survivors of a small farming village that didn't even have a name. When the swell of monsters began, a group of them took over the farms and would have killed all the people if the Hylian knight hadn't been there. They had lost nearly all of their animals too. They decided to try escaping to Ruto, a larger town that had set up some fortifications against the monsters. Even with the help of the other two knights, the ambush could have wiped them out due to the Wizzrobes had Link not shown up.

Then the two Sudian knights explained some of where they came from, including about their former king. "He's completely changed from what he was," the one riding the unattached horse said.

The one riding on the very back of the wagon nodded. "Right, I remember him from when I was just a castle guard. He abstained himself from the luxurious trappings of royalty in order to make sure that all of us working there could keep a steady income to support our families. And when monsters from the deep swamp became a problem for one town, he went down there himself and took care of them with his own magic."

"I didn't work in the castle, but he always talked about how we would find a way to rise above the violence and still earn our sovereignty back. Now all he seems to care about is power and he will kill anyone who becomes an obstacle to him."

"You be careful when you run into him, he's extremely skilled as well as being powerful," the second knight said to him.

Link nodded. This was just more reasons he had to fight Ganon with all he could muster, for people like these poor farmers who were suffering for no reason, and for avenging Epona's death. As he thought that sadly, he noticed a large Peahat starting to spin its leaves. The sun was almost down which meant that it would try to get back in the ground soon. But it might have enough time to startle the horses or even ram them. He took an arrow and fired at it while it was getting in the air. As it immediately exploded into smoke, it must have already been injured from something else.

"Good eye, I didn't even notice that one," the knight on horseback said. Link shrugged at that. They still had some distance to cross although Ruto was in sight. With the light falling, this was getting more dangerous by the minute.

One of the farmers in back said, "Didn't you say you were waiting on your new king?"

"We haven't heard how the trial turned out, but yes, there's someone we're hoping earns the respect of the great falcon and becomes our new king," the knight in back said. "He's actually a Hylian, a government official named Joachim who dealt with our invasion bravely."

"Bravely for someone who can't really fight," the other one said.

"But that is more impressive, in my opinion. He treated us fairly and did what he could to save the Hylian civilians from harm."

"I've met that man," the Hylian knight said. "Some of us were hoping he'd marry Princess Zelda so we could replace Albertos with a more reasonable king."

"Yeah, that's right. He didn't want to leave the castle without her and we tried to get them both out. But Ganon came out just to get her back."

"He left Joachim alone, which I thought was odd when I heard about it," the Sudain knight in back said. "Joachim had the Falcon Ring at that time, and someone as skilled in magic as Ganon is would surely notice its presence. But he only took Zelda back. Now it's him, her, and one of our generals, Velken, who remain in the castle town with all the monsters."

"Velken's there as a spy to help us, though, so we don't have to worry about him," the other said.

"Yeah, if Velken was actually loyal to Ganon, he'd be a far bigger threat than the monsters."

Since they still had some distance to go, Link got Sophie's lantern out of his bag and shook it up. He may as well do all he could to keep these people safe. It scattered a gentle warmth over them, a light that should be reassuring. However, he should have been able to take care of Epona and keep her safe as well with this light. She was gone and he had abandoned her out there.

"Isn't that going to draw attention to us?" the knight on horseback said.

"No," the healer said. "That kind of light distresses most monsters and they'll keep away from us."

"Mister?" One of the children tugged at his shirt, seeming like he'd worked up enough courage to talk to him. "Are you the hero who's going to destroy the king of evil?"

He really didn't want to talk right now, but this was a child who might have lost his parents; he'd certainly lost a lot. Link clasped the boy's hand a moment to reassure him. "I hope so. I still have to prove myself at Death Mountain before I can claim the Master Sword, but I really hope I can."

The defenses at Kakariko were not much, mostly wooden barricades with spiked edges. But it was something and there were other soldiers here defending the town as best they could. While he probably should see about helping them with that, Link wanted some time to himself so he could figure out what to do now. There were logistics to getting to Kakariko to figure out. But, he couldn't keep his thoughts on that. His mind kept going back to seeing the deadly wounds on Epona, hearing those screams, and wondering if he could have done something different so she didn't have to die. And there was that boy's question too, the fear and sadness to his eyes and the hope that there was someone right there who could save them.

While he didn't want to talk with any of the strangers in the inn, there was someone that Link wanted to talk to. But once he finished the letter, he realized that the envelope was currently with Gale. Would he write back tonight?

* * *

Dear Gale:

Are you serious about that? It makes sense, but it's also one of those things that makes me wonder where you learn all this stuff. Nobody I knew would talk about it. If they had, it would be embarrassing, I admit. But from you, you're just making me want to see you again even more. But would it really be all right when I'm staying at these inns? Maybe not the rooms I usually get.

Tonight wouldn't be good, I'm afraid. today's trek was exhausting. I've seen way too many Likelikes for my liking. At least with them, I can run Epona by without trouble. The Bokoblins seem to be more skilled over here in eastern Hyrule somehow, especially the archers. They have fire arrows and I'm thankful I got through with Epona unharmed. Maybe it seems odd, but she's been my partner and best friend for several years now. I wish I didn't have to put her in danger for this. Hyrule's just too large to be trekking across just on foot.

Well, I'm going off to sleep. I'll write you again tomorrow.

With love, from Link.

"Why are you wasting all this time?" Ganon grumbled to himself as he reviewed this letter. "If I knew what exactly makes that Triforce appear, I'd tell you so you could get it done with already."

Though he really shouldn't be surprised. Other heroes often seemed to waste time during their quests by helping out people with small problems and exploring areas that had nothing to do with their objectives. Plus, Link had been explaining about this all along in the letters. Most of this detouring was about his horse. She had been a calm and obedient horse in what Ganon had seen of her, but most horses did not deal well with monsters. And Link did care about her a lot. Perhaps if she was gone, he'd be more focused and less cautious.

It would be a straightforward solution, but one that Ganon didn't like much. He could remember his Gerudo past; he knew the worth of a good horse. With proper training, they could be more valuable than most people. They'd be more obedient and never turn disloyal. As such, he didn't like the idea of killing off a horse. Especially not Link's; whatever minor worth there was in getting him focused like that, it'd be detrimental in the long run.

Feeling relieved that he could dismiss that idea, he reviewed how he was doing in drawing Link closer. He was certainly affected by a strong lust that he didn't know how to handle, which was excellent for Ganon's purposes. It enticed Ganon too, like seeing the fear and vain anger in Albertos right before he died. Maybe he should do more than just tease him. That thought made him make the reply letter shorter so that he could see if this was a good night to go see him. According to his route and the spread of monsters, Link should be arriving in the town of Ruto shortly before evening.

The envelope came back less than five minutes later. Maybe it was a good night then.

Dear Gale:

Epona's dead, I really shouldn't have taken her on this longer route. I'm sorry if this letter is awful, but it wasn't that long ago and it all happened so fast. I'd let her run ahead while I stopped to help some knights protect a group of refugees going to Ruto. It only took a couple of minutes, during which another group of monsters killed her and another pair of horses. Maybe I should have kept her with me, but she's afraid of the monsters and she could have been hurt there too.

Is there any chance you could come see me tonight? I don't know anybody here in Ruto and I'm not sure what I should be doing now.

From Link.

Well this was bad. He should restrict what letters Zelda sent out now. As the Triforce of Wisdom might let her in on that, she could contact Link to console him. Instead, he should go be with him now. It would make it seem like he fully cared. Ganon did feel bad for Link losing his horse like that, but he didn't need to be swayed by such emotions in this. After telling a pair of his Seeker monsters to catch any letter Zelda tried to send this evening, Ganon teleported himself out to Ruto.

He arrived in a dark alley of town. In the lit street ahead, he saw one of his former soldiers patrolling around to keep the townspeople here safe. Good, that was helping the common Hylians to have a positive attitude towards them for whatever ended up happening. Ganon couldn't risk being seen by them. The Gerudo were such a small population now that others might not recognize him, but his former army was sure recognize him as their former king.

Now, where was Link? He must have gone to an inn, narrowing down the locations he could be. Searching with a spell, he located the hero and teleported to his location. That brought him to a rooftop lookout. Even with the moon illuminating some of the fields, only Link was up here. He wasn't keeping watch, just looking out towards the middle of town from here.

"Link?" Ganon said, going to the railing by him.

He looked over to make sure of who it was. "Oh, Gale. Thanks for coming."

"I had to when I read that," he said. "Don't blame yourself, it was beyond your control."

"No it wasn't," Link said, turning back to the town. "There was just no good choice there. I had to help the refugees there or they might have died. Since she'd been fine so far, I went ahead and let Epona run. She usually keeps away from monsters, so they must have been ambushed by surprise too. I should have trained her better so she wouldn't panic in a situation like that."

"I still think it was beyond your control," Ganon said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We met about a month ago, right? You had no idea before then that you would get called to this position. If you had kept around that small town, you wouldn't have a need to train her like that. It is a terrible loss; she was your closest friend."

Link nodded; he wasn't wearing his cap, so he seemed more like a normal swordsman tonight. Or it could be be his grief making him seem that way. "I was going to take her home soon. Hyrule's changed so much while I was in the desert. Like those refugees, they'd lost almost everything because the monsters overrun their farms. I have to get the Master Sword soon to end all this. But it's too late for those who've already lost their lives and livelihoods."

There was a momentarily feeling of guilt that it was his fault for those deaths, and for hurting Link this much. But it was all of Hyrule that was suffering for this; his goal was the ruin of Hyrule and its legends, after all. He would be the end of Hyrule this time, something he could be proud of. For now, he had to act for Link's benefit.

"I can get you to Kakariko without trouble tomorrow," Ganon offered. "But before that, I'm guessing you didn't get a chance to take care of Epona afterward."

"No," he said, regretful for that.

"I'll help you with that in the morning," he said. Even if he could order the monsters to keep away, it was too dark out there to be handling a burial. Or whatever he wanted to do for his horse.

"Thank you," Link said quietly, his voice breaking. Thinking it would be the appropriate thing to do, Ganon put his arm around him and let him grieve for a while. Meanwhile, he considered how to proceed up until he had to confront Link with the truth.


	10. Companion Facade

**Chapter 10: Companion Facade**

It took half the morning for Link and Gale to walk back to where Epona had fallen. The sky was filling with clouds and a steady wind blew the grass in waves. Even though the road had been cleared last evening, monsters were back to lurking so they could ambush travelers. Neither of them had trouble with this since the worst things out were the Wizzrobes striking from a distance and the occasional Lizardfos.

Unfortunately, the delay in getting back made it unfeasible to take care of her properly. Something had already picked the bodies until they were scattered bones. Was it the monsters? They never left behind bodies but they were seen occasionally to be eating food. Link went into the grove to gather some wood, then made a cross to mark the spot where they buried the bones. While he couldn't take long for this, he spent some time remembering how things had been with her: going to the castle on their own for the first time, riding through the woods around Taven, talking with her in the pasture when he still felt uncomfortable talking with others. He might be able to get another horse somehow, but Epona would always be special to him.

"Thanks for helping me with this," Link said to Gale after he felt like he'd done what he could.

"It's fine," Gale said. He understood well what this loss meant, unlike others who might see Epona as just another horse and find him strange for this grief. "Are you going to keep going?"

He nodded. "I have to. Many people are suffering, not just me. If I can end this, I should."

"I'm not sure I could be so selfless, but seeing you like this makes me want to try," he said. "Well then, I can warp you over to Kakariko and guide you up to Death Mountain. The Gorons are a stubborn and prideful race, not that easy to talk to. Do you want me to stick around and help with that?"

The offer lifted his spirits some, although it was embarrassing to have him helping so much. Still, the Gorons sounded like the kind of people he was most nervous talking around. "I don't want to keep you away from your own research and work," Link said.

"Well I'm happy to put off some of that to have more time with you," Gale said, smiling at him. That did make Link smile before he realized it; Gale then took his hand. "Especially if I can make you smile like that. Let's go and see how you do with them." A blur of gray surrounded them, taking them away from Epona's grave to the town of Kakariko.

There was a disorienting feeling when Link looked at the town, like a familiar place that had become foreign. He closed his eyes for a moment and found images from past legends. During the time of the Hero of Time, it had been founded at the base of Death Mountain by the last of the Shiekah, a mysterious people who were renown for being excellent bodyguards and assassins. It was one of the oldest towns in Hyrule's lands even if it paled in comparison to the castle town's history. It changed, shrank, and grew through the years, enough that another hero had come through and helped the town through another time of hardship.

Link opened his eyes back up and looked at how Kakariko was now. Stone houses lined a wide street that followed a winding canyon of red and orange stones. While there was a watchtower here, it wasn't in the places that he remembered one being. This watchtower was on the western ridge; a person could easily see a good expanse of the eastern fields of Hyrule and the whole town from the top. He also spotted signs saying that the hot springs remained.

"Actually, this is a good trade town," Gale said, looking towards a shop nearby. "Traders like my group often stop in this place when going between Hyrule and Sudai. Not only that, but the Gorons do most of their trade here instead of in their mountain home. That makes this a good place to find unusual goods now that the castle town is abandoned. You might be able to find charms for arrow enchantments here."

"That would be good to have," Link said. He recalled from stories and dreams that past heroes often got such enchantments as gifts or from dungeon chests. But if he could pick up some in a store, that would be handy.

As they went to check on the shops, one building near the southern part of town caught his eye. It was a community shrine in a tall domed building, its stone exterior weathered in old age. Seeing it, he could tell a little more clearly which of the legends were a part of history and which were legends part of other ways history could have gone. Although that made him wonder, how did stories of the other legends make their way into the repertoire of storytellers? Was it some power of the Triforce, connected to them all?

There didn't seem to be anyone in the shrine at the time, so he couldn't talk with them about the past. Gale picked out a pair of shops that was most likely to have the enchantment charms, discounting another store that had a sign with a bomb on it. In the first shop, he was able to meet up with a witch who sold potions to refill his empty bottles. She didn't have the charms he wanted. "You're going to have a hard time finding that kind of a charm in a shop."

"Are they that rare?" Link asked.

"More like they're too dangerous for regular sale," the witch said, shifting her eyes towards an orange cat that was sitting on a shelf other charms. "It may not mean much now when the royal family of Hyrule isn't in power, but I wouldn't go selling something like that unless the customer proved their skill with a bow and their responsibility with such power. A stray shot could set a place on fire, after all."

For a moment, Link considered asking if there was something he could prove himself with for her. Perhaps it was something he could come back for if he truly needed that power and couldn't find it elsewhere. The other shop Gale picked out had most of the shelves devoted to living in the wilderness and gathering your own meals. It turned out well because he could trade in his old camping gear to better versions, including a charm that should help boost the monster repelling power of Sophie's lamp.

But there were no arrow enchantments in this shop either. "If I did have such charms in, it'd be eight thousand rupees for one."

"That's a ridiculous price," Gale said.

This shopkeeper just shrugged. "They don't show up often and when they do, I need the extra cost to pay off the knights for allowing the sale. All right, so that might not matter so much with Ganon in the castle, but I'd still pay the knights here for protecting the town."

If he did have to buy such charms, Link figured that he would go asking the witch about it first. She could probably make them herself if she didn't have some already. The charms had a potential high price, but the camping gear was a reasonable purchase.

When they got back outside, Link felt something warm on his right wrist. He looked down and saw two of the summoning charms glowing. "What's this doing?" he asked, showing Gale the chain.

He immediately looked concerned. "Those spirits are summoning themselves, But why in the day?"

Then they heard screams and pounding hooves from the northern end of town. Other pedestrians scattered towards the buildings, but Link reached for his sword. A lone horseman was barreling through town on a large stallion with a black coat and fiery red hair. The horseman itself was in better shape than he'd last seen it, with armor that Link recognized without a second guess as Gerudo armor.

Running out of the way of Phantom Ganon's horse, Link switched from getting his sword to taking out his bow. The phantom yanked back on his horse and whirled around to race at him again with a sparking lance at ready. Link rolled out of the way and fired at the phantom's back; Gale warped out of the way and fired a lightning bolt at it. After they exchanged two more failed charges, an icicle spear, and two more arrows, the phantom rose off the horse and dropped to the ground, handling its lance with both hands. Where had it picked up that weapon? Link put that question out of mind as the phantom charged over to engage him in direct battle.

The lance had greater range than his sword; the lightning enchantment would surely make those strikes hurt a lot more. Link backed away, glancing around until he spotted a balcony on a building nearby. Waiting for a strike to dodge, he darted over and jumped onto the balcony to fire another arrow at the phantom. It jumped into the air as well, floating there to shoot a lightning ball at him. Link deflected it with his shield, knocking it to the ground and leaving it vulnerable to several more arrows. Down on the ground, Gale put some kind of defensive spell over Link and then kept trying to hit the phantom with magic. It must have been resistant to spells to last through that barrage.

Eventually, an arrow caused it to collapse into a pile of ashes and a dark orb. Link jumped back down to the street, wondering if it was something that needed holy power to extinguish entirely. "Can we destroy it like this?" Link asked.

"In this state, I can take care of that," Gale said, appearing by the orb. He closed his eyes and made a ring of magical script surround the orb. After examining it, Gale caused the orb to unravel like a ball of yarn. The skull charm crumbled apart as well. "It shouldn't trouble you now, but what about the horse?"

As he asked that, the phantom's horse walked over to them. Link braced himself. He didn't like the thought of attacking a horse, even a strange dark phantom of one. Thankfully, it didn't look aggressive. The phantom horse stopped in front of him and lowered its head. The horseshoe charm brightened up. For some reason, he had a feeling like Epona was nudging him to get his attention.

"Hmm, this one is submitting himself to your will," Gale said, looking over the horse. "It might obey you now since you have its summoning charm. Though, I feel like some other spirit is influencing it."

"Epona?" This looked promising. Link took hold of the reins. When he reacted positively to being rubbed on the neck, Link put a foot in the stirrup and got onto the saddle. The name 'Balrog' was written on a plate on the reins. "Balrog, let's go," Link said, tugging at the reins. The horse obediently turned around and walked towards the path to Death Mountain. Some people began stepping out of the alleys and buildings, cheering in thanks for taking care of the phantom rider.

"That's quite a horse, actually," Gale said, walking alongside him. "As a spirit, it can be dismissed and called at will. It should be able to heal itself as well if you dismiss it for a while."

Link stopped Balrog by the path and dismounted. "I think Epona helped me tame him," he said, patting the horse's side. "How do I use him as a summon spirit?"

"This chain should make it simple on you," he said, taking his hand to get a better look at it. They figured out that the charms could be twisted a quarter turn in their holders. With that small action, he could dismiss Balrog and call on him when needed. The phantom horse might even get him up Death Mountain where other horses would have trouble. However, Gale didn't have his horse and wouldn't attempt to scale the mountain trails like that if he had.

"Excuse me, but you two were the ones who stopped that strange horseman?" a Hylian knight asked as she slowed her own horse down by them.

"Yes," Link said, feeling bad since the Phantom Ganon had only come here because of him.

"It was a phantom of some kind," Gale said. "You shouldn't see it again."

She gave them a salute in gratitude. "Good, you did well. It appeared out of thin air and jumped the town gate. Hopefully we won't have other monsters doing the same. Can we do anything for you?"

"Your thanks is enough, we were just heading up to meet with the Gorons," Gale said.

"Well be careful going up that way," she said. "Monsters that used to only be found in the deep mines have shown up on the roads. And the Gorons were in an uproar a while ago because someone stole a historical artifact from them. While it was located and returned to them, they're still wary of strangers."

"We'll be fine, but thanks for the advice," he said. Link nodded, not worried about what monsters might be on the trails. The two of them would be fine against anything.

* * *

Joachim accepted a note from one of the castle messengers. The messenger summarized it as saying, "Leonidas has gotten groups protecting Kakariko, Ruto, and Onduran. We've heard that Narin was swamped with Likelikes, but Link took care of those and has been making his way towards Death Mountain for the last key medal."

Opening up the note and skimming it, he noted that Leonidas was trying to get some soldiers at a fort in the northern mountains, to Narin, and the Zora territory; others were sweeping over the wide fields to rescue stranded civilians. They had yet to get people to Taven and the provinces south of that, but they didn't want to spread too much. "That's good."

"Also, Kimbera says she's ready to accompany you through the king's trial this afternoon," the messenger said.

"I'll be down there in a few minutes."

Joachim finished off a report he was writing on the state of Sudai's current budget. When Ganon had gone off to conquer Hyrule, some of the nobles here had attempted to get themselves tax loopholes so they could keep more of their wealth. But this country needed to finish up rebuilding its roads, defense structures, and power systems to lessen problems on the majority of civilians. The loopholes didn't make economic sense for the nation as a whole. Joachim wanted to make sure everyone contributed.

There was a little mystery within those economic reports. There was a nobleman by the name of Gale Fellclaw who was a ghost among the records. While he owned a few properties and notable antiques, all of his transactions had taken place in the past four years. It might be that he was a young man who had only recently become independent of his parents. But there were no records of a noble family in Sudai of that name. The closest was the family of the last queen, a Gerudo line by the name of Fellclaw that was noted as wanderers who dismissed the trappings of nobility and wealth. And it was all females save for one, the queen's son Ganon. It might be someone running a scam with the name, although they did charitable things like a contribution to keep a public library open for the next ten years.

It might be worth it to track down this person and figure out what they were up to. But that could be handled later. After passing his report over to a clerk to copy and mail off to current members of the royal court, Joachim headed down to the castle basement where the trial was held. This had been interesting to study, the fact that this nation made their rulers prove themselves and thus could handle a situation where a bad ruler needed to be kicked out for someone more fitting. Hyrule's royal family was matriarchal even though it was a kingdom ruled by a king. As such, the future king needed to prove his worth to current princess or queen in order to claim power.

This led to the issue that Zelda Abigail represented: if the princess wasn't a good judge of character or a leader in her own right, she might choose an ill-suited man to marry and make king. The fact that the Triforce of Wisdom always chose a Hylian princess as its bearer made a great many people accept Hyrule's system of succession. But Sudai's system might be better overall for the kingdom, since it would be harder for a corrupt ruler to last as long as Albertos had in Hyrule.

Joachim still wasn't sure what all this trial would entail since the details were kept secret. The candidate could choose someone skilled in fighting to accompany them. In fact, it was highly recommended to do so. He had gone with Kimbera because she had proven herself to him and was one of his first supporters in taking over Sudai. She was waiting on him, a short sword at her side and her arrow quiver on her back.

"Are you ready?" Joachim asked her.

"Yes, but you're the one being tested," Kimbera said. "Are you ready?"

"As much as I can be," he said. He hadn't been given a lot of time to consider this matter, but this wasn't a chance to miss out on.

"Then hold your hand up with the Falcon Ring on it," she instructed, gesturing to the stone door that had a magical seal engraved in it.

Stepping up to the door, he held it with his palm facing the door. The seal shone and enveloped him in a blinding light. Joachim winced at that but stayed as he was. Being there, he was reminded of being under the scrutinizing gaze of his strictest tutor. And of many other things: earlier today when he had been thinking over the economic situation here, a month ago when he quickly had to organize an evacuation after Ganon's invasion, months ago when Albertos had given him orders he didn't want to carry out. That last had been one of his and Zelda's works: Albertos wanted to unfairly punish the region of Laverre for revolting against Hylian rule and the two of them wanted to start a project that the Laverre people had demanded to help smooth things over. Some careful wording, shuffling commanders around to put a more reasonable one in Laverre, and setting up a diversion from their assistance managed to get their project set into motion. Laverre had settled down with that, at least until a statement from Albertos riled the people back up.

The door opened and Joachim wasn't surprised to find the falcon spirit waiting for them in the next room. He already knew that he was being judged, perhaps from the moment that he'd put on the ring. Perched on a curved stand of petrified wood, the falcon had golden brown plumage with markings in red and black. It looked like a regular falcon at one glance, but then it raised its wings behind it and showed a halo of light around its body. And its eyes were white, sometimes with an ethereal glow.

The falcon spoke strictly to him. "Petitioner Joachim, you have no royal heritage. You are a bureaucrat and a merchant. You still hold allegiance to the kingdom that conquered us. Why should I listen to you? Why do you seek the throne of Sudai?"

He had given thought to that. "I want to do the greatest good with the talents I have. I can't fight to take care of the threats that all of us are facing, but I can make sure those who do fight are taken care of and properly compensated. Whether I do this as a government clerk or a king doesn't matter to me."

"You are one who is considering the big picture rather than what would most benefit yourself," the falcon said. "Very well, we will see the nature of your leadership. Lady Kimbera."

"Yes, your holiness?" she asked, giving the falcon a respectful bow.

"The tests within these chambers are meant for the petitioner, but some cannot be solve directly. Some do require combat. Your role here is to follow the commands of the petitioner without question. Petitioner Joachim, you may command her as you see fit. You will be stopped if your orders cross the line to purposely harm her. The decision of if you may keep my ring will come at the end, but be aware that there are some actions which will end the trial immediately. You understand this, correct?"

"I understand, your holiness," he said, quietly thankful that he'd gotten the example of how to address this spirit.

"I will meet you at the end," the falcon said, then turned into a bright silhouette that flew off through the walls.

Although this trial was said to have some combat involved, the first chamber involved a critical thinking problem of considering a widely varied and biased range of reports that might come from a large government council, and then making a decision on what version of a law to implement based on those reports. It was a bureaucratic riddle, which was exactly the kind of thing he and Zelda might discuss in their official duties. This was definitely something he could handle.

He found himself considering what she might say to all this information in the riddle before giving his answer. It would be nice if she were there to work on this with him. But he might see her again soon, as long as the hero could fulfill his role.

* * *

As they headed up the mountain trail, Gale revealed that he had done some research on the Septdraco. According to the old records, there were seven evil dragons sealed by the artifact, including a marsh dragon that was originally from Sudai. The Sudain marsh dragon, or Sulfur Dragon to some, had originally made the river delta lands treacherous to inhabit because it exhaled a poisonous flammable gas that often set wildfires in motion. The sage who had created the Septdraco had taken away the marsh dragon to help those who wanted to settle in Sudai and take advantage of the rich farmlands there. The other six could be equally or even more devastating if released.

Eventually, they came upon a high cliff face in the middle of the road; the rest of their path continued on top of the cliff. Link started glancing around for areas to climb up, but Gale just took his arm and warped them both up to the top of the cliff. "Such things are never an obstacle to a sorcerer," he said.

"That's impressive, but I wouldn't have minded climbing up," Link said, continuing along the path with him.

"I would," Gale said, holding up a hand where he had a loose sleeve that would be in the way of trying to climb a cliff.

"I'll give you that," Link said. "I think it's rewarding to be able to climb something like that. You put a lot of effort into it and it feels great to get a better view at the top."

"It does take a lot of work to gain mastery over teleporting magic," he said. "If you mess up, you could not move at all, or end up a mile away not sure where you are at all. Although I do agree that the view from high places is worth any effort to get up there."

"I think I'll leave any magic like that up to people who study like you," he said.

"Well you can get a view of the area the Gorons live in now," Gale said, pointing ahead. "Before we get there, there is an unfortunate thing I should tell you about. Gorons don't really like things that other races consider romantic. They find a good portion of it disturbing or disgusting."

"Really?" Link asked. They'd have to be careful to stay polite around them.

Gale put a hand to his chin, thinking. "They have, how do I put this? They have different ways of bearing children and do not have separate genders like most races. When Gorons first came in contact with human races, they found that they better liked what most considered masculine traits. So every Goron is referred to with masculine terms. Well, nearly every Goron. If you find one that wants to use feminine terms, you know she's a real oddball of the group. So while we're dealing with them, we have to stick with chaste actions and words because doing otherwise might make them reluctant to talk with us."

"I'd rather not offend them," Link said.

Galen then leaned closer and said, "Well just wait until later when we can be alone and things will change." Link nearly laughed at that.

The town in Death Mountain was interesting, being full of tunnels. The Gorons liked to carve murals and stories onto their walls. Glancing over them, Link wondered if he could come back to look at them. There wasn't the time now for that. The Gorons were working on their jobs and talking with each other. Whatever had troubled them before didn't seem to be a problem any more.

And it turned out that Gale was well liked by them. "Hello Gale, it's good to see you again," one of the guards said, giving them a wave. "What brings you back here?"

"Hello, it's nice to be back," Gale said, nodding back. "I've come with a friend who needs to speak with Elder Micah; this is Link, a traveler working towards being a hero."

The Goron guard looked down at him, eyes widening. "Really? We've been hearing a lot of talk about you from Kakariko. You certainly seem like a hero with all the people you've saved, like the Zoras."

"I'm just doing what I can to help people," Link said, bearing this attention like he'd done with all the rest. "But I need to find the Medal of Vigor now."

"Ah, yes, you'd have to talk with the elder about that," the guard said. "When we got word that the other two were stolen, we had to be more careful with it. Go on ahead, he should have time to meet with you both."

"Thank you, we'll go on ahead," Gale said. Once they moved away form the guard, he gripped Link's shoulder. "You really don't like all this attention, do you?" he asked quietly.

"No," Link said. "Partly because they'll want me to talk about what I've done and I'm no storyteller. And I've never had this much attention on me so often."

"What about from me?" he asked.

That did help him relax for being happier, although he did reach up to take Gale's hand off his shoulder. "It's different from you. And weren't you the one warning me that we had to be mindful of the Gorons?"

"Well you make it really hard to resist just by being you," he teased him. Maybe it was just how he was trying to cheer him up; it was working. "All right, all right, I'll settle down until this matter with the Gorons is settled." Moving ahead to a more decorated doorway, Gale swung a knocker by one of the doors to ask for permission to enter. It didn't take long for them to get a response from the Goron elder to come on in.

The elder managed to be wrinkled even though the Gorons were all made of stone. Micah had an impressive dark beard and long limbs. He wore a beaded sash with white feathers as a sign of his rank. "We were able to retrieve the law tablet with Gale's help, although we weren't able to capture the thief. I've heard that you're here for the Medal of Vigor."

"Yes, I've gotten the other two," Link said.

"There is a problem with that as we don't keep that particular treasure in town," Micah said, then pointed downward. "It was placed in a harsher part of the mines, the lava trench. We figured that anyone who had the vigor to retrieve it from the trench without being a Goron was fitting to receive it. Since that time, a lava creeper has settled itself into the area. Not even our strongest brothers have been able to defeat it. Shalan said he was onto something a couple years back, but he passed away before he could deal with the monster. The lava creeper sometimes comes out of the trench and attacks the miners in the area, plus the generator's at risk from its attacks. You'll need to retrieve the medal yourself, and we'd appreciate it if you found a way to deal with the creeper as well."

"Is the creeper made of lava?" Link asked, not sure how to picture this beast. To the side, he saw Gale step aside to take a message from a Seeker.

"Yes, that's so," Micah said. "It'll hurl chunks of lava at you too, so you'd best limit anything on your person that can catch on fire. We've tried bombs on it before; those splatter the creeper all over the room, but then it brings itself back together and keeps on hunting. But that could be handy if you need to make a quick retreat."

So how did he deal with a monster made of lava? What ideas he could come up with, he had nothing to implement them with. Gale might be able to help, but he'd like an elemental attack himself. "Do you know what Shalan was working on before, to deal with it?"

"Not myself, I'm afraid," the elder said. "He was a master at crafting toys. The young Gorons might know something more, since the warriors scoffed at the idea of a toymaker creating a weapon."

"Thank you, I'll try talking with them," Link said.

When he excused himself from speaking to the elder, Gale had some bad news for him outside the elder's room. "I've got some other business I need to take care of. While I thought I could leave this magic to my coworkers, they've managed to bungle things up again. You seem to be handling yourself well now, so you'll be fine on your own."

"Alight, we'll have to find another time to meet up."

He nodded. "Of course. They seem to have heard good things about you, so you should be fine handling the rest on your own. At any rate, I'm glad I got to hear your voice again."

"I'm glad to speak with you again," Link said, with some embarrassment as he couldn't think of a compliment to match that. Even so, Gale gave him a charming smile and took his arm for a moment in lieu of doing something more. Link had to take another moment to refocus on his work here after Gale left.

On asking where the kids would be, Link got directed to the workshop where they practiced skills in mining and crafting. The kid Gorons were just as rocky and round as the adults, albeit with smoother surfaces and heads. When he walked in, three of them were chipping away at a block of stone that was starting to have form. It reminded Link of an octorok.

"You're the new hero people have been talking about?" one of the kids asked after he introduced himself. "You seem skinny, not big like a Goron!"

"He's a Hylian because he has pointy ears," another kid said, making pointed ears from the sides of his head. "And they look skinny compared to us, so he's probably normal."

"But that's not strong."

"There's many times when a hero has to fight smarter," Link told them. "How much power you have or how big you are doesn't decide everything."

"Yeah, it's like Shalan used to say, be smart and you can do big things!" the third kid said, spreading his arms apart with enthusiasm.

"Actually, I came to ask you all about something Shalan was working on," Link said. "It was supposed to be for taking care of the lava creeper in the trench."

The third kid pounded his hands together. "Yeah, yeah, that thing! It's a hot thing, great like the mountain!"

"He finished it?" Link asked.

"Which thing?" the second kid asked.

"The cool thing, it was dynamite!" the third one said.

Link didn't see how dynamite was going to help since it was just another kind of bomb. But the first kid nodded. "Oh yeah, the dyna, uh, the dynarang that's dynamite!"

"That was just his lame advertising pitch," the second one said. "It's a trirang, which is like a boomerang but it has three arms instead of two."

"I thought you wanted to call it the kaboomerang," the first kid said.

"Well," he sounded embarrassed as he rubbed his head, "a trirang is what it is. I was being silly."

"No, it's a dynarang trirang!" the third kid insisted. "It's finished, but only us kids were willing to try it out. And the adults won't let us go deep enough to reach the lava trench, so we can't beat the creeper."

"Where is this dyna-trirang?" Link asked. "I want to defeat the lava creeper."

"We were using it as a toy, but they said it was too dangerous for us," the first kid said. "The teacher took it and put it somewhere."

"I wanted to make my own trirang that I could play with, but teacher said it was really hard to make one," the third kid said, sounding disappointed.

"That's the kind of thing that your practice here will make you able to craft," Link said, although he wasn't sure what exactly went into making a boomerang, much less a trirang. But everyone had to start somewhere. "It might take a lot to tries and failed boomerangs to get right, but you could make your own one day."

"Really?"

Link nodded and patted his sword's handle. "Practice works for bettering many things. Like, fighting with a sword is actually a tough skill to learn. I've spent years practicing it and got hurt on many occasions. But now I'm fighting monsters to protect others who can't fight. And I'm sure Shalan must have taken years to get good at his craft, enough to make a boomerang that could destroy a monster that bombs can't."

The third kid grinned. "All right! I'm gonna work hard on wood carving so I get as good as old Shalan was!"

Happy that he'd inspired them to keep practicing, the Goron teacher told him where he had put Shalan's trirang. It was in the school's storage closet locked in a chest that only the teacher had a key for; Link had to borrow and promptly return it, making sure to lock the chest with other confiscated items back up. The workshop was too crowded to be testing a boomerang in, but the teacher let the students take a break to go outside with him to test out.

"It's got lots of fun magic on it," the trirang enthusiast said, pointing to the center. "See the sliders by the fire, wind, and water markings? You push one of them to the side and the boomerang will take that element! Try it!

"I'd like to see how it flies plain first," Link said, noting that all the sliders were currently turned off. It took a narrow loop when he first threw it. The second time, he used some past knowledge to direct its flight towards a pair of poles in the area below them. Both twanged as the trirang struck them, then returned back to him.

"Wow, you can make it go really far," the first of the Goron kids said. Even the second one, who was trying not to be impressed, was watching in interest.

"It's a knack," Link said, then shifted the fire slider until it clicked. The painted symbol turned brighter and the trirang felt warmer. It didn't show its true power until he threw it out into the mountainside. A foot from his hand, the arms of the trirang burst into flames and appeared like a whirling red disc. When it got back to him, the fire was extinguished before it was in range for him to catch it. The water symbol turned it icy for some reason, while the wind symbol caused it to glow green and make flags it flew by to whip around wildly.

"See, Shalan was awesome!" the third kid said. "Dynamite even!"

"Try activating two or even three sliders at once, it gets even better," the first one said.

"All right," Link said, turning the water slider on with the wind one. When he threw it, it turned into a sparkling lighting ball much like what the phantom had thrown earlier. Fire and water made it turn into a blur of steam while fire and wind extended the range of the fiery arms. And when he turned all three on, nothing seemed to change until the peak of its flight path, where it exploded with such a powerful noise that it startled the Gorons working below them.

"That explosion is why we decided that trirang is too powerful for the kids," the teacher explained. "But you should be able to make use of it against the lava creeper."

"I don't know if the explosion will help," Link said, turning the sliders off before he set the trirang in his bag. "Some of the other elements look promising. Thanks for letting me use it."

"It belongs to the Gorons," the teacher said. "But if you kill the lava creeper, I'm sure the elders will agree to let you keep it."


	11. A Shadow of Doubt

**Chapter 11: A Shadow of Doubt**

To reach the lava trench, Link got a ride on a mine shaft elevator. The area itself was ineffectively blocked off with a broken metal fence. As a Hylian, Link could easily duck through the hole and enter. The edges were melted, hinting that the lava creeper wasn't held back by fences. In the initial tunnels, he had to rely on Sophie's lamp for light.

Once in the trench, there was enough red light from the lava and torches to put the lamp away. The heat down here was heavy in the air but still bearable. In a large cavern, he saw strange machinery standing in a pit of the lava. Gale had told him on the way here that the lava trench was home to a power generator, which was why the Gorons and people of Kakariko had machines and lights running freely. The miners had advised him to keep an eye out for side rooms and shelters that would help him if he felt overheated down here. While he had brought some water down with him, Link felt like he didn't want to be down here long.

He walked quickly along a stone path that somehow didn't melt even though a wide ditch of lava flowed right near by it. Tunnels alongside this cavern were blocked off with chainlink fences like by the elevator; some were obviously patched up from being melted. Was the creeper going to be down here? It could be down any of the tunnels since it could melt obstacles. Fire bats were everywhere and strange octoroks managed to survive in the lave. If he still had his old shield from Taven, it would have turned to ashes within a couple of attacks.

Halfway to the room where the medal was supposed to be, Link had to move into a side passage to get out of the heat for a few minutes. He sat down by the wall and got a bottled water to drink. Since he was taking a break, Link let his mind drift. His thoughts soon turned back to Gale. He really was a good man; Link was grateful to have met him. Gale had said he hit all the right notes for him, and Link felt the same way. If he had to deal with Epona's death on his own, he might not have gathered his wits to continue so soon. He still felt Epona's absence, and his guilt for leading to her death. However, she had let him tame Balrog, so she didn't have any disliking of him. Link wished Gale could have stayed through this, so they could keep talking and fighting together. But that was all the more reason to get this medal and then the sword quickly. The sooner he fulfilled whatever this legend wanted, the sooner he could pursue his own goals.

As he tucked the water bottle back into his bag, he noticed a gurgling sound from the lava trench. That wasn't the noise he'd gotten used to out of the molten earth. There was a massive pile of lava that slithered along the floor, one he could easily picture swallowing up even the Gorons. Pieces of itself tumbled down and got reabsorbed into its body. Although it didn't appear to have a head, the lava creeper did have four spindly dripping arms that felt the way ahead.

He had placed the trirang in the top slot of his bag so that he could take it out quickly. Once it was in hand, he glanced down to click the water slider on. The lava creeper gurgled at the sound and lifted part of itself off the ground. It was still in the hot trench area; if he could get it into this cooler side tunnel, it would work out for him better. Link got up cautiously, keeping his shield in front of him.

The lava creeper swayed in the air, then bolted towards him with surprising speed. Backing up quickly, Link drew it further into the cool room. It responded by coughing up molten rocks and making them ding off his shield. He spotted a bright white gem within its molten body as it did so. When the creeper spat a lava rock too wide to hit him, Link responded by throwing the icy trirang at it. The magic hardened the outer lava of the monster, stopping it in place. The trirang kept going into the lava trench while the lava creeper burst out by shaking the solidified rock off its body. Then the trirang froze it again as it came back.

The lava creeper was almost half its size now, not able to gurgle as loudly as before. It fired a wide fan of rocks at him, but they weren't super-heated as before. Not wanting the creeper to have a chance to flee back to the trench, Link took a risk and threw the icy trirang at it again to freeze it twice. The fourth time it was struck, the rocks were blasted towards him; a smoky serpentine form emerged behind the rapidly fading white stone. It gave off a pitiful tiny wail as the magic that kept it going was unraveled. The stone then dropped to the floor with a chink and cracked in half.

For all the fuss that this creature caused, it fell incredibly easily when attacked the right way. The Goron kids would be happy to hear that Shalan's plan had worked perfectly. Link walked over to the cracked stone and carefully put his hand near it. While it had stopped glowing, it still radiated heat. He decided to leave it where it was until it cooled down enough for him to handle with his gloved hands.

With that taken care of, he braced himself and headed back into the lava trench itself. The path he was on curled around at one point, but it was basically a straight shot to the room that held the Medal of Vigor. There were some dodongos along the path, but he found that using the fire boomerang on their tails was enough to make them explode. Past them, a lizardfos with near molten armor jumped across the path to challenge him. It snarled and brandished a heavy black axe.

Link wondered for a moment how it wasn't burned to death with its metal armor almost hot enough to melt. It couldn't be a smart idea to challenge it to a sword duel since its axe had to be heated as well. Backing up quickly while it swung its axe, he swapped the trirang back to its ice setting to cool the lizardfos down. The monster then whirled around wildly, forcing him back even further. After two hits with the ice, the armor stopped glowing. The lizardfos stumbled as the armor solidified, making it easier to dispatch. He continued on, keeping a wary eye out for any more lizardfos.

At a doorway with right markings, Link went into another cool room to find a shrine dedicated to the mountain gods that the Gorons believed in. The red medal was placed at an effigy dedicated to the Hylian goddesses. A sign nearby stated, 'If you believe in the power of your heart and body being in balance with the rest of your self, take this medal and it will test you. If this causes you any pain, leave it behind for the one who is worthy of it.'

Link took the medal in hand, expecting that it would send his mind back into the past again…

It was a long road to the final temple, starting with the graveyard to those who had fallen in an old war. Ganon's forces still haunted him, eager to obtain his blood so they could resurrect their master and put the beast king back in control of Hyrule. This had been a long and often lonely journey, made difficult at points due to his curse of silence. But Link wasn't about to falter now. The one he loved was waiting for him.

...that other hero had also fought for the sake of someone he loved? Although, that wasn't surprising. They all had their own reasons for fighting, even if they mostly kept it to themselves. Or couldn't share their reasons, as was apparent that this one incarnation had truly been a silent hero. It made Link feel ashamed for his anxiety over speaking for most of his life. He had his own voice that has lost the faults of childhood, so he shouldn't let such old problems continue to hold him back. He had to pull himself out of that.

As Link had all three medals now, he stayed behind in the shrine room for a few minutes in order to pray to the goddesses. He wanted to serve them and bring peace back to Hyrule. And he wanted to do it without ruining any more lives in this awful scheme of conquest and manipulating legends. He may have fallen into the role of the hero because he happened to have the right secondary qualities like his name, but he wanted to fulfill it just as well as other heroes had done.

He also ended up adding in a more personal wish that he could be with Gale more often and make him proud in all this. Maybe it was selfish that his own love was part of the reason he was doing this. But if he did well enough, maybe no one would care exactly why he had done things. Besides, the legends might even acknowledge Gale as someone who helped him as the hero this time around.

The shadow charm flashed on the summoning chain once he finished his prayer. What was summoning itself now? He put the Medal of Vigor in his bag, then looked around the shrine room. Nothing seemed to have changed here. After getting another drink, he readied himself to go back out into the lava trench. Link got as far as the door when he found what had been summoned: a shadowy version of himself.

As soon as they saw each other, the shadow drew his sword and jumped at him. Link rolled out of the way, towards the way he came. If this was going to be a fight, he didn't want it going into the Gorons' shrine. The shadow was quick to follow up, lunging downward while Link was trying to get to his feet. The dark blade got within inches of his head. Not letting that intimidate him, Link used quick draw to strike back.

The shadow blocked the move with impressive strength. His next move was a relentless combo that forced Link into defending with blocks just to keep up. When the shadow finally paused, Link had nearly been backed up into the lava. He stepped to the side while keeping his sword in front of him. He hadn't had a sword fight this difficult since testing himself against his master. While Gregio was limited in his movements due to his injured leg, this shadow of himself wasn't held back by such handicaps. Noting the posture his opponent had, Link attempted to disarm the shadow.

The move was countered, bringing the shadow closer to knock him into the wall with the flat of his blade. Link nearly lost his own sword, then found the dark blade against his neck. As he was pushed against the rock wall, there was no easy way to get out of this. His shadow self only had the impression of a face; its eyes narrowed at him. "Unworthy," the shadow said in a grating distorted voice.

"What?" Link asked. His sword skills had been enough so far. Maybe it wasn't enough for Ganon?

It definitely wasn't enough for this shadow. "You're deluded," the shadow said. "You seem right and they may find the right qualities in you. But a seed of corruption has already entered your soul. Unless you find the truth and let yourself become unclouded, you will be the fault that brings Hyrule to total ruin. I will not kill you now, but if this corruption grows, I will end you. You should make your skills worthy of the Master Sword too." The shadow then vanished back into the charm.

That shadow could have killed him in a blink if it wanted. Link glanced around, then put his sword away. Should he find a way to better his swordsmanship? He didn't want to waste time in claiming the Master Sword and challenging Ganon. Although if his skills weren't how they should be, that was going to be a rough battle even if this incarnation of Ganon was more magically inclined. And how did the shadow think he was deluded?

When he got back to the room that he'd defeated the lava creeper in, the cracked stone was cool enough for him to pick up and place in his bag. The fire keese and octoroks had come back in spite of him clearing most of them out. By the time he got back to the mine elevator, he was worn out and didn't want to try going to Onduran right away. Maybe he could take a couple hours for a break, then head over and spend the night in that town.

He went right to the elder's room when he returned to the Goron town. "I took care of the lava creeper," he said, giving him the two cracked halves of the white gem. "This seems like its power source."

"It has the right look," Micah said, examining them. He showed one half to a guard that was in the room. "This is what you all were seeing in it?"

The guard looked surprised. "Y-yes, that's it! That's the gem that kept showing up when it fired rocks. Wow, so you really took care of the creeper? You don't look that strong."

"Strength alone was never enough for that monster," Micah said. "This gem needs to be purified so that there's no chance of the creeper reforming itself. Leave that to me. How did you manage it?"

"I used Shalan's trirang to defeat it," Link explained.

"You used one of the toymaker's items?" the guard asked, confused.

He nodded. "It has the capacity to strike with ice magic. That solidified the outer part of its body. To keep fighting me, it had to shake away the new rock shell and grow smaller. Once it got small enough, the gem broke."

"We can handle another lava creeper if one appears knowing that," Micah said. "Well done, Link, we're grateful for your assistance. You may keep Shalan's trirang for that; I'll inform the blacksmiths to make sure we have a few weapons of ice just in case. And how did it go in retrieving the medal?"

"I found it," he said, bringing that out as proof. "I also found out that I need to better my swordsmanship, but I should have enough now to claim the Master Sword."

"If you can handle that without pain, it belongs to you," Micah said. "And be sure to hang onto those three medals even after you find the sword. The ones who forged those made sure to put passive enchantments on them. Even if you do seek to improve your skills, which is sure to be valuable to you, the medals will help boost you so you can fight the evil king hiding in Hyrule Castle now."

"All right, I will," Link said.

"If you want some practice, we'll be glad to help out a hero like you," the guard in the room said cheerfully. "It would be an honor."

"Sure, I might come back later," he said. Fighting against a Goron was sure to be tough; he would really need to prove his skills to win against one.

* * *

"What is going on outside the castle?"

Zelda knelt in front of the room's fireplace, her mind focused on that question. She wore a white and silver cloak that had been in the wardrobe here. Initially, she had dismissed it as being a couple sizes too big on her. Then she realized that it had been crafted to assist a spellcaster. It dragged on the floor and the hood nearly fell over her eyes. Still, it helped to block out what was around her. She needed to be able to direct this intentionally.

A golden shine appeared on her hand and she felt like she was entering a dream.

Scanning around the countryside, she found fear and grief everywhere. People were hastily putting together barricades in hopes of keeping monsters out of their towns. Nobody dared go outside after the sun went down, not without armor and weapons to protect themselves. Farms were being trampled, then abandoned. By a small group of trees, there was a marking of a grave put up just this morning.

In the far reaches of Hyrule's borders, she saw another castle. Joachim was there, wearing a brown and gold uniform that she recognized as being the colors of Sudain royalty. He was in front of a crowd, including Kimbera and some of her troops. Others in the crowd were common people, afraid like the others. But in these people, there was a hope in something new. If this worked…

Others stepped away from Joachim as he asked of them. He looked to the sky and whistled, holding his right arm out. In a flash of golden light, a mythical spirit emerged in the shape of a falcon. The great falcon of Sudai obeyed Joachim's call and landed on his arm. It had accepted him as its master, and the new king of Sudai. As the people there cheered, Zelda felt proud of him. He was clever; he'd find some way to use this new station to set things right.

And Ganon was… outside the castle? He was with someone on a mountain trail, but Zelda found that person out of focus. No wait, that was earlier today. Currently, Ganon was back in the castle. He seemed bothered by something. What was it? Zelda didn't care if he was troubled, but she wouldn't mind troubling him further if she could.

She couldn't figure that out before the vision shifted and showed her where Link was. He also seemed troubled, deeply saddened about something. Currently, he was standing in a hall carved out of a mountain, observing an engraving of horses running in a field. The blocky style of the mural and the hall itself indicated that he was in the Goron town on Death Mountain. What about the medals?

He had all three now, kept together in his bag. While he didn't have the Master Sword yet, Zelda smiled. The medals had accepted him as worthy. He was the one that the Triforce of Courage was watching, after all. It might not be long before this time of darkness was over.

Or was it? The vision flicked to an earlier point, Link trying to fight his own shadow. Shadow Link appeared from time to time, although there wasn't much evidence for why or when it would show up. Still, Zelda had a feeling that this appearance was a bad omen. There was something that would keep Link from his destiny as the hero this time around. He could claim the Master Sword now, she knew that, but something was going to keep him from being able to defeat Ganon.

"What is the problem?" Zelda asked, trying to direct the vision.

"Don't worry," a faint voice told her. "Have faith in him; have faith in the power of legends. Stay quiet and wait for the right moment. You will survive as long as you don't do anything rash."

"You just want me to sit here doing nothing while my people suffer?" she asked with a frown.

"Don't grasp for power too much; it will undo you."

"I don't think that's much of a danger when I'm mostly powerless and helpless right now."

Something happened to her vision, flickering in echoes. Zelda winced at the sudden change. When it stopped, she found herself looking farther into the past. Ganon was sitting at a piano in a parlor with a stone block floor. This was… a place in Sudai Castle where the royal family lived, in a winter before the last. He was playing the piano slowly, thinking over things. Why was she watching this? She didn't want to.

Abruptly, Ganon slammed his hands down on the keys. "I really am powerless in all this," he muttered.

"Hard to believe that," Zelda said.

"Couldn't you have taken me from the start if you're not going to give me a choice?" Ganon said, even though no one was there. "Or take someone more inclined to go along with your ambitions? Are you that reluctant to take on the helplessness of a child when trying to come back into the world?"

Something replied, in words that Zelda could not hear even with the assistance of the Triforce of Wisdom. Ganon grimaced. Still, she couldn't care about this situation.

"Fine, but I will fulfill my own ends," he said to whatever was with him.

There was a brief image then of an even younger Ganon standing on an ocean pier, surrounded by seagulls. That remained enigmatic as her visions then switched to Link in the past. Earlier this spring, he was fishing somewhere in the woods around Taven. Zelda had not thought about fishing much, but Link seemed completely comfortable doing so. His horse Epona was grazing nearby.

"I didn't get around to telling you," Link said in a quiet voice, not tense at all since it was just the horse listening. "But during yesterday's outing, the kids wanted a new story and we decided to tell them about the child hero who used the Picori blade. She's a good storyteller, but for some reason, I felt like I could see what was going on like I had been there. Then last night, I had a dream about it. But it was so real. I felt like a kid again, meeting up with my friend Zelda and being excited for the festival."

Knowing that he was talking to her, Epona paused in her grazing to bump his arm with her snout.

Link laughed and patted her with his free hand. Nothing was biting at the moment. "Watch it, grass breath," he said affectionately. "I wonder if the current Zelda would want to go to a festival with me. Not that that could ever happen; I've not even seen her except from a distance and she'd probably not be impressed with how I talk."

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the way you speak here," Zelda said, wondering. "Why do you get so nervous about that?"

Turning his attention back to the fishing rod, he added, "I wouldn't like becoming a hero anyhow. I like these peaceful days too much. If only the rest of Hyrule was this quiet; we wouldn't be seeing new kids arrive and we could take more time to get the ones here to new families." He closed his eyes. "I wonder if… if I'll ever have my own family again. I'd work hard to make sure my kids had a good home, even if I had to take an official job at the orphanage or the stables to support them. Though, it'd have to take someone special to love me enough to start a family with. Maybe too special." He shook his head. "And not Charlotte, she's too overbearing."

Epona nosed him again. Thanks to the vision, Zelda could tell that the horse noticed Link was feeling unhappy and was trying to help him. "So you two are close," Zelda said.

Link did smile at his horse. "Yeah, I do have you as family now."

With those words, the scene flickered back to something she'd seen earlier: the simple grave marking by the trees. The scene itself was back to this morning. Link was kneeling by the new grave, his heart devastated and his mind self-conscious for knowing most people wouldn't understand. This was a loss that cut deeply and yet he had to keep it under wraps because he was now a hero with a mission.

"Oh, your horse died," Zelda said, some tears of sympathy coming to her. "It was because of Ganon's monsters, wasn't it? It must be tough, but it seems you're continuing on. I need to be strong like that."

She should write him. But when she went to send off a letter, it bounced right back into the room. Ganon must have caught on. Annoyed at the timing, Zelda had to calm herself back down to see about undoing the letter block.

* * *

When Link arrived back in Onduran, he found people here doing their best to continue on with their daily business. Stationary Armos monsters were everywhere, but those were easy enough to work around. He hadn't given the town much of a look when he'd last been here, but it was easy to see this was an agricultural town. Windmills and grain towers were placed at the edges of town. There was even a prominent brewery not far from the main street. As it all looked so ordinary, it was a curious place to have placed a legendary weapon.

The shrine was easy enough to find, a white stone pyramid on one of the side streets. Statues of the goddesses and past heroes were placed on well-kept grounds. Link spotted some dried bouquets placed at the bases of the statues, an offering of some kind. Walking around the building, there was no obvious entrance and the windows near the tip looked secure. It was like a place people would visit on a pilgrimage, finding it too sacred to enter.

At the southern face of the pyramid, there were indentations in the walkway that matched the backs of the three medals. There was also an armos standing right beside those indentations, sternly keeping guard there. But armos weren't really a worry; Link drew his sword and provoked it into moving. They were intimidating with their stiff scowls and large shields, and they could do a lot of damage just by throwing their weight around. However, throwing their weight around was the only thing they did. A large frail gem was their source of power, easily in reach on their backs. As such, a quick circle around and a strong attack was all it took to destroy the armos. It would have been more trouble if there was other monsters around, like a beamos or two.

The way was clear, so he brought out the medals and set them into the three slots. They each shone while a bell nearby rang out in approval. As the walkway shuddered, Link stepped off right before it sunk into the ground to form a staircase into the pyramid. It was a simple walk down to reach the interior of the pyramid shrine. He found himself feeling uneasy in that this shrine was being simple. He could recall past legends where the Master Sword had been in a long and winding forest to keep it safe. The medals had taken some work to reach, but this should take something more.

Inside, the Master Sword was nowhere to be seen. Link wondered if there was indeed some trick to this place. But it was clearly one chamber within this pyramid and no more. Light from the windows above fell down on the center where the Master Sword should have been. Instead, there was a rough hole within the otherwise smooth surfaces of this place.

Some black graffiti had been left behind in the illuminated spot: 'With this, I have proven myself to be the greatest thief in the history of Hyrule. I have claimed the Master Sword through treachery, trickery, and deceit! -H. Rat'

H. Rat… that had been the graffiti maker that had given him some tips on getting the Helmaroc feather and dealing with the Dust Devil twins. No wonder that person had been looking for the medals. Shaking his head, Link took another look around the chamber in case some other clue to the Master Sword's current location was left behind. This was not helping.

There was nothing else around that indicated where H. Rat had taken the sword. Link could remember hearing about the thief before, but such talk had not interested him enough to remember what the talk had been about. Perhaps Zelda could help locate it? She had found where the medals had been hiding, even the two that had been taken out of place. Maybe she hadn't heard that the Master Sword had been taken by the same thief. Although, why hadn't she thought to check in on the sword itself when she had done so for its keys?

However, he didn't have a way to contact Zelda. She did seem aware of what he was doing, so she might become aware of this problem. But Link hadn't heard from her in a while. She was supposed to be locked in the prison tower of Hyrule Castle. Could he possibly get in the castle, rescue her, then get out without encountering Ganon? The Sudain troops had gotten away while Ganon had been out. He might be able to get someone to distract Ganon into leaving. Or, he could just go in to take her unexpectedly.

No, a direct incursion was foolish. He did have Gale to write to. As a nobleman, he might have connections to get into the castle or get Ganon out for a day. Gale might even have some information on H. Rat that would help him figure out where the Master Sword was. Link left the shrine, disappointed that this was going to take more diversions. Although, this would give him more time to better himself.

There were some people who had gathered because the bell had been ringing. "You got the shrine open?" one man asked.

"Yes, but the Master Sword was already gone," Link said, stopping to pick up the medals. The walkway remained as stairs, thankfully.

The group there gasped and whispered. "It was gone? But that shrine hasn't been opened in decades."

"Someone still managed to steal it," Link said. "Excuse me, I have to figure out what happened."

* * *

Dear Gale:

I have a rather serious problem that I could use your help on. I got the Medal of Vigor successfully, but this came up at the shrine itself. Although the locals say it's never been opened since it was sealed up eighty years ago, the Master Sword was missing from the shrine. It looked like someone went to the trouble of cutting through the stone floor to remove the sword without actually touching it. A piece of graffiti there claimed that a thief with the name of H. Rat had stolen it to prove their greatness.

Now I have no idea of how to find the Master Sword. I don't know much about this thief, so I don't know where they might have taken it. I don't have the means to search for the sword by magic or anything of that nature myself. Although, I'm sure Zelda could locate the Master Sword once she becomes aware of this. She writes me sometimes, but I have no way to ask her unless I can get in to rescue her now. But then I have to get in and out somehow without Ganon catching me doing so.

Is there any way you can find out where the Master Sword is? Or find out more about H. Rat, or how I could get into the castle. I'm at a loss now since I know many people are counting on me to be a hero. But I can't face Ganon without the Master Sword. Or the Triforce of Courage, but then I'm not sure how to get that to appear either. It doesn't appear until its chosen bearer proves themselves, but trying to go into Hyrule Castle now isn't courageous. That's reckless.

I may go back to my hometown and ask my sword master if he knows anything about the thief, since he was a former knight of Hyrule. But anything you could tell me now would be helpful.

From Link.

Ganon swore under his breath on reading this letter. Someone was stupid enough to go stealing the Master Sword when they couldn't possibly use it? Maybe there was some way to get the Triforce of Courage to manifest still. Or maybe he should go ahead and kill off Zelda, deal with a problem he could handle now. But then he'd be dealing with two parts of the Triforce being hidden instead of just one. As long as it was separate, there was a chance that the force of legend would find some way to make things work out according to its usual plot.

Given some time, he could look up in the castle records for information about the idiot thief. But he was wary of taking too much time doing that. Zelda was starting to think more clearly after the loss of her handmaiden. She'd already attempted to escape herself, somehow undoing the lock from inside. While she hadn't been able to make it down the tower without being spotted by his monsters, she was sure to try again. And she could get help from Velken, a person who could easily set up a charade to fool the monster guards and slip away with her.

But she was definitely capable of locating the Master Sword. And if he took the right measures, Ganon could make sure he could locate her no matter where she ran off to. Maybe it was a good time to let her go. He'd have to keep an eye on what she was up to, given that he'd told her why she had to die. With a sample of her blood to set up the surveillance magic, he could let Link come and take her from the castle. He was right in that going in without a plan was reckless. But if he did have a plan, getting her could be a strong enough show of courage to get the Triforce to manifest. The Master Sword would need to be tracked down so he didn't end up surprised at it showing up at a bad time, but Link's main role in Ganon's plans was getting the Triforce of Courage available.

Although, lately Ganon had been entertaining the notion of securing Link's loyalty to him, unquestionably strong. The hero would win in the legends, although there was an aberration or two of tragic legends where the hero died. But even in those, another hero would succeed the first's legacy. On top of that, love made people act irrationally. If he could sufficiently manipulate Link into giving up the Triforce willingly, Ganon could win because he had the hero on his side. And if that ended up with the princess falling to them, that was all the better.

Was this a good time to reveal himself to Link? He'd been completely willing to go far with him in spite of the relatively short time they'd known each other. While Link's letters showed that he wasn't clear on how things would go, it wouldn't take much pressure to get him to agree. There was a risk in that Link could not accept Ganon as Gale and turn against him. But Ganon felt like he could bet on Link trying to rationalize the situation with the right motions.

Ganon was getting an idea of how to do that. For this to work, he needed to contact Link again before he tried asking anyone else about this situation. He started up a letter to draw him in.


	12. Further Snags

**Chapter 12: Further Snags**

Dear Link:

I'm having some difficulty accepting that someone was crazy enough to steal the Master Sword, but apparently people can indeed be that crazy. I have heard of that thief; his full name is Hizza Rat, something the fool chose himself. As he was a showoff and charlatan, he would be the one daring enough to attempt that theft. He was infamous for stealing from the wealthy and mailing one piece back to the owner to brag about his exploits. He got captured by the Hylian knights and sentenced to life in prison, but committed suicide rather than serve out any sentence.

However, I am not aware of where he might have taken the Master Sword. We can't access the castle records, but I believe copies of such records are kept in some other towns. I'll ask around to see about getting a hold of them. But that could take some time. It might be quicker to rescue Zelda and get her to look into the matter. With the Triforce of Wisdom she has, it would be a simple matter to her.

But you are right in that going into Hyrule Castle would be reckless. I can offer more immediate help in that matter. Not long ago, I managed to make contact with the sleeper agent Velken who was left in the castle to keep an eye on Ganon and help out efforts like yours to get into the castle unnoticed. I can get a note to him to help clear a path for you, as well as send notice to other acquaintances who will be capable of creating a diversion to get Ganon's attention. Anyone can be provoked into acting without thinking with the right actions and I am sure I know the right ones to get Ganon to move. Obviously, we'll have to take great caution in this or people will end up dying. You'll have to move swiftly without any diversions to reach Zelda and get out with her without being caught.

I can even get this moving as soon as tomorrow morning if you're ready to go. Keep word of this low. The Seeker you saw the other day was mine, but Ganon is sure to have similar monsters who can alert him to any threats that are being planned out. The more people that know that you're going to make this rescue attempt, the more chances we have of getting caught doing this.

And be careful in doing this; I'd hate to see you hurt again.

From Gale, with love.

The sun wasn't even up, but Link was awake and reading back over this letter. While he had considered contacting Leonidas or Gregio on this matter, he had waited to hear back from Gale first. Which was good, since he was right in that keeping this quiet was best. He'd be going into Hyrule Castle today; he was just waiting on a signal to go ahead from Gale.

He had learned more about the thief Rat from people in the tavern last night. There were lots of tall tales and rumors about him even though he'd died around fifteen years ago. The one that was most well-known around Onduran was a time when Rat had spent about a month in the town pretending he was a potion seller trying to earn the funds to set up his own shop. Since he had been selling concoctions to help out the plants, he had done a lot of business around here. None of his potions were any good. By the time people realized it, he had somehow stolen a piece of underwear from every house in town and strung them all up in front of the inn one night. The townspeople laughed about it now, but they did say that everyone was furious at Rat for his audacity.

But as for where he would have taken the sword? He'd stayed here at the inn while in Onduran, but there was nowhere here that a sword like that could have been hidden from guests and staff. It still was looking like Zelda was the one most able to locate it.

The glow of the approaching sun was visible from his inn window when he got a note back from Gale. As promised, he'd gotten a distraction set up and Velken should be aware that he was coming. There was a side entrance into the castle town that would be unlocked now. From there, he could reach a path that castle servants used to get in and out if they were living in the town rather than the castle. It shouldn't be as heavily guarded as the main gates into the castle, although he had to be careful about a bridge that crossed over the moat. As long as he kept heading north inside the castle, he would to find the gatehouse into the prison tower.

And this all had to be done quickly, before Ganon was aware of the intrusion. Link had already made sure his gear was prepared, so he was ready to leave now that he had the note. He left the building in order to use the Song of Soaring to appear outside of the Castle Town. He could imagine the area of the suggested entrance; could he arrive there?

Yes he could; he found himself on the western side of the walled town by a short drawbridge. Link soon spotted some keese perching underneath the roof of the gatehouse, so he got rid of those quickly with his arrows. There didn't appear to be any monsters patrolling the drawbridge as he sprinted across. Although the door into town was shut, he was able to open it up and get inside. So far so good.

The town was eerie as he entered this way. There were no stray dogs or cats roaming the streets, no one doing early work to prepare for the day. Some of the doors were broken in, revealing abandoned homes and businesses. Was there anyone remaining in town? There were rumors that a group had stayed behind to fight back. Unfortunately, Link didn't have the time to search them out. He saw stalfos and other armored monsters patrolling the streets, especially the main plaza. The servant's path was in an alleyway, though, kept out of sight by design.

It was on that servants path that Link finally recognized a monster from the Gerudo Desert totem, the one that was a string of orbs and little more. The icy blue snake of magical orbs slithered around and made a bizarre twanging sound. Although he was there, it showed no reaction to his presence. Link was able to walk right by it without getting attacked. Could it send a message about him, though? When he attacked it, it fired shards of ice that didn't hurt that much. It was dispatched quickly and Link moved on his way.

When he came to the moat bridge, he stopped to observe the area. There were some angular monster crows perched in trees nearby, easily distinguished from real crows by being origami-like in form. Another magical orb snake, this one yellow and crackling, was pacing around the bridge. Nothing too challenging here. Link got out the trirang and took out the crows with it. It wasn't enough to take out the orb snake, but he could take care of that with his sword.

Link walked briskly across the cleared bridge, keeping alert in case something popped out of the moat. He spotted some movements in the water, but nothing got close enough to notice him. Ahead of him, the path continued to be narrow, blocked in by a grassy slope down into the moat. This would be a dangerous spot if more monsters were around. He hurried ahead to get to the door and get inside, where there might be better places to hide.

He didn't get there as a white wolfos emerged from the ground to stand in his way to the door. This wasn't a good place to fight close-quarters, but didn't they tend to circle around? The wolfos would end up in the moat doing that. Readying himself to use quick draw on it, Link kept approaching it with the knowledge that it'd try to run off to the side.

"Hiiiiiyoooo!" The shout was not enough time to warn him of a monster dropping down from somewhere overhead to strike at him from behind. His vision flickered as the armor under his hat wasn't enough to stop all of the force from that strike to his head.

Next thing he knew, he was on the ground and someone was walking on the narrow path beside him. "That was close," a man said, putting his hand over Link's face.

Then he wasn't aware of anything.

* * *

Zelda wasn't sure what she could do any more. Impa was gone, leaving her without her closest confidant and companion. While she'd tried to get out of the tower on her own, there was only one path down. If she ran into a monster that was more than a keese, her escape was over. And the keese often alerted others to the movements, so even they were inescapable. The visions the Triforce was giving her were getting darker; it was more visions of monsters spreading through every province that Hyrule claimed, warnings of the rebirth of evil dragons that would make things worse. Why didn't it give her the visions to stop all this in the first place?

For some reason, she could not get a letter sent to Link. But the blockade only covered him, so she could keep in contact with others. She saw that the leaders of Laverre and Taven were considering similar options, so she wrote them both to suggest working together. The snowy lands past the northern mountains were not a part of Hyrule, but they too were being attacked by Ganon's monsters. Wanting to have better relations with them in a potential future, Zelda wrote them to explain what was going on. She even contacted people that could act as sages, those with the power to seal away Ganon with her. They could start preparing themselves for that.

While she was getting a letter together to Leonidas to help him with the Zoras, a knock came to the tower door. That would either be Ganon or Velken; she got an image of the latter in mind. "Yes, you can come in," she called.

Velken opened the door and came in, shutting it behind him. "I've got your lunch," he said, going to set the tray on the table "But also some bad news. Link was captured just outside of the castle. He's across the hall from you now in the more secure cell."

"He's still alive, right?" she asked, wondering how it had come to this. Sometimes the Master Sword could fade in power; perhaps that had gotten in the way. "How is he?"

"He got a concussion in spite of having a head guard," Velken said. "I've done what I could, but I could use some extra healing magic to make sure he recovers well. I am allowed to bring you over for that if you can help."

Finally, there was something that her princess upbringing could be helpful in. Healing magic was something that fit the image for her parents. "Yes, that's fine, I can handle that."

While her cell was a house arrest with plenty of creature comforts, the other cell at the top of the tower was stark with bare necessities. A metal-framed bed was attached to the wall, giving him a place to lay down with just a small pillow under his head. His gear had already been taken from him, though they did take the time to bandage up his head. On a wall nearby, there were manacles on the wall, possibly for interrogation purposes.

"He didn't have the Master Sword with him," Velken said.

"He didn't? Then what was he doing coming here?"

He shrugged. "He did have a masterwork shield and an unusual trirang, among other good equipment. But just a mundane albeit excellent sword. Here, I have experiences with this kind of injury." He talked her through how to set the healing magic in to deal with it.

As she did, she got disjointed images from what Link had been doing. He walked along an almost unbearably hot hallway in a mine. He swam in an underwater tunnel with a one-armed Zora. After dispatching some monsters, he went back and spent a couple minutes reassuring his horse. That image came with a jarring pain, a loss he couldn't replace. He listened to a tale in a tavern, about a strange thief who'd taken underwear from a whole town. He set the medals into the walkway in front of the Master Sword's shrine and stepped away as the walkway fell into the ground.

And there was the place where the Master Sword was supposed to be, where it was not. "The Master Sword was stolen from the shrine," Zelda said.

"Really?" Velken asked in disbelief.

She nodded. "What kind of crazy fool would do that? It was divinely crafted; it's not going to work for just anyone who tries to pick it up. Maybe he came here to ask about it. Still, that's too reckless."

"Right, but we're not done yet," he said.

Zelda went back to finishing her part in healing Link up. He remained asleep, but she could feel his body settling back into a normal condition. Although, a head injury would have lingering effects even after magical healing. He shouldn't move far or do much for at least a month to make sure he was recovering.

Then she got another image from him, but one that felt different. He was following a man only a couple years older than himself up some narrow stairs in an inn. While Zelda couldn't get a good visual on the man, she got a strong sense of Link's feelings around him. He was someone he trusted and admired. This was his first love, powerful in being that. Perhaps too much so, a potential to cloud up his thoughts. At the same time, Link wanted to improve himself and this love was a strong motivation to do so.

She smiled some at that. "I think I got it. That's sweet, he's in love with a man named Gale. Seems like he tried to help Link get here, but whatever preparations they made went wrong." While it was tempting to write a letter to that man, she couldn't send one with so little information.

"Is that a relief that he won't be a rival to your Joachim?" Velken asked. Was he poking fun at her?

"A little," she admitted, standing back up. "Is there going to be a way to get us out of here when he's recovered enough to be fighting?"

"It'll be a lot easier with him," he said. "And easier for him to get out with us. We'll wait until he recovers."

"All right, I'll try to figure out what happened to the Master Sword in the meantime," Zelda said, following him back to her cell.

As she ate her lunch, she considered the trouble that could be. The Triforce had allowed her to locate the three medals, but gave no warning whatsoever that the Master Sword wouldn't even be there. Was it going to let her find the sword? Or any other problems that might come up? There was the chance that searching out the sword would help her figure out how to direct her visions better. She wanted to fill in the blank spots of her knowledge so that she could actually consider it all and make suggestions that wouldn't be undermined by unseen factors. That was what a wise leader should be doing, right? Sometimes she wanted to slap the Triforce in the face (or something like that) to get it to stop being so mysterious and selectively unhelpful.

Once she was done eating, she went to the writing desk so she could open up the window and think. She had to see what happened to the Master Sword. Thinking over how it felt to have the visions, Zelda closed her eyes and prayed. "Please, cooperate with me. This legend can't continue if Link can't find the Master Sword."

She got the mental equivalent of slipping and trying to find her footing. She saw a vision of a library where a man at the corner of her vision was also searching for that information. That… that was Link's beloved, Gale. So that person was trying to help too. But, she had an important role too. She wanted to be helpful. She wanted to see Hyrule to a time of peace and prosperity for many, not just a few.

The vision skipped back to when Link had stepped up into the shrine's interior and found the Master Sword missing. He had checked all around for clues, but the only pertinent ones were at the center of the room. When the sword should be, there was a deep hole cut into the stone floor. Dust from that theft was still spread across the floor. And in that dust, there was a shoe print that was smaller than Link's. That person was probably shorter and lighter than average; Link was tall and well toned.

While he hadn't noticed the shoe print and what it implied, he couldn't miss the message left behind from H. Rat. Hizza Rat was a notorious thief that had died when she was a young girl, but tales of his exploits were told fairly often. According to the message, his motive behind the theft was to prove his mastery. It was an honest, if vain, proclamation. But where had he taken the sword?

Zelda wanted to push backwards in time, to the theft of the sword. After a couple false starts that returned to Link at the shrine, she finally got to see Rat in the shrine. Hizza was indeed a small and slight figure; his brown hair and mustache were purposely messy and thick. He worked alone, using the holes in the walkways as molds to form fake metals to open up the shrine. He even managed to match the magical parts of the lock, which was impressive even if it was very wrong. Using the more visible potion scam and silly underwear prank for a cover, he took several long nights to remove the embedded sword.

Upon getting the sword into his fake merchant wagon, Hizza had a problem in that the mechanism to open up the walkway wasn't meant to be used so often. He managed to get the walkway back up to close the shrine, but the way he did it meant that it wasn't going to close again now that Link had used the real medals. Hizza left Onduran in the middle of the night and rode straight for a hideout. From his feelings, Zelda could tell it was a place where he stashed his most valued prizes. It was in a forest full of magic that he knew how to navigate and few others did: Trickster's Grotto.

She pushed time forward from the hideout to make sure. Other stashes of Hizza's thefts had been recovered, but not this one. The Master Sword and many other treasures were still in a hidden part of the grotto in the Taven province. Which was where Link was from. He knew how to navigate Trickster's Grotto but had not come across Hizza's treasure horde. He might have had the Master Sword from the start if he had.

That was resolved and they could retrieve the sword. However, it was going to have to wait. Link would not be in shape to be escaping for some time. Zelda decided to keep that information to herself, just in case someone else got silly ideas and tried to move the sword again. But she did write a letter to Joachim, to let him know that while something had gotten messed up, it should turn out well in time.

As she sent it off, she couldn't help but wish that she could get letters back even if only his letters did. Hearing directly from Joachim might make this time more bearable.

* * *

Gale… Gale… the name bothered Velken. It was a feeling that he should know someone by that name, but didn't. He shouldn't let it bother him, but his mind wouldn't let this go. He ended up thinking about it as he checked on Link over the days. Unfortunately, Ganon had ordered Link to be medicated so strongly that he was never alert enough to talk with.

While Velken was there one evening, he noticed an envelope, a pencil, and a half-written letter. Link was making an attempt to write Gale, but he couldn't stay awake long enough to finish. There was also a fully written letter there on the bench against the back wall. Not wanting to pry too much into a private exchange, Velken nudged the half-written letter aside to confirm that the other was written by Gale, at a time when Link had been imprisoned here.

That made no sense. Ganon was blocking letters others tried to send Zelda even if he let her send out those she'd written. How could Gale get a letter to Link in the same tower as her? Velken took a closer look at the enchantment on the envelope and realized that it was familiar to him. It had been cast by Ganon.

Curious, Velken slipped out of the tower once his duties to the prisoners were taken care of. Ganon was still in the library, now making preparations to conduct a magical ritual. He was busy with that and Velken was trained for shadowy endeavors. It was easy enough for him to be silently in the library checking some references while Ganon was distracted in his magic. Especially since Velken was interested in the public records; he could keep an eye on Ganon through the gaps in the shelves while being unnoticed and unheeded.

He searched a number of articles, reports, and data, looking for references to Ganon as the king of Sudai. There were plenty to be found. Now that he knew what to look for, Velken found an interesting pattern. In records older than a year ago, the name 'Ganon' didn't fit into the writings. A line with his name would be out of alignment; a handwritten paper would have the name uncharacteristically squashed into a shorter space. Records within the past fifteen months didn't have that problem. While 'Ganon' did not fit well, Velken could imagine 'Gale' fitting just fine.

That was it. Gale was the name he'd been given at birth. But to make a change of name so pervasive that it forced the new name into every written record of the person? That was magic beyond human scope as far as he understood. It clearly wasn't perfect considering how forced the name looked in these texts once he was aware of it. What could possibly do that?

And what did this mean for Link, in love with Gale who was Ganon? The idea bothered Velken greatly. He understood manipulation to be necessary in some cases. A great many of the tasks assigned to him were completed with manipulation to get what he wanted without others realizing it. But manipulating someone in love with no love in return crossed a line that made Velken sick. Ganon wasn't trusting him anymore either, only using him because he was still around. Once the hero and princess could get away, it might be time for him to leave as well.

Still, Velken knew better than to jump to conclusions. This wasn't fully explained. Fortunately, he was able to see when the magic envelope fluttered into the library to return to Ganon. Link must have managed to complete the letter, or at least think he had. Velken checked on the magic of the envelope as Ganon caught it, just in case. As it was the same as before, that was it. Ganon immediately put his work on hold to read the letter.

Velken got himself in a better position to observe. Ganon read through it with an impassive face, thinking. Once he had, he went right to composing a response. He didn't send it off immediately. Instead, he checked it over, frowned over something, scrapped the letter and rewrote it. That one he sent off. Was it worth it to try seeing what the scrapped letter said?

No, wait, he had a better option. The truth potion that had been used on Albertos was potent enough that they hadn't used all of it to make the former king speak the truth, especially with it being used in conjecture with alcohol. Ganon would not drink something alcoholic as he was too careful. But he might miss a drink with the truth potion in it until too late. Velken went to retrieve the potion's vial, then walked silently into the study room Ganon was using. Either of them would notice someone warping in close by. With careful timing, he got a few drops into the coffee Ganon had on hand.

Velken waited for fifteen minutes, then walked into the study. "My liege?"

Ganon immediately glared at him. "Of course it'd be you. I hope you're not trying to make me paranoid because that would be very dangerous to you."

In that, Velken could tell that the truth potion had taken effect and that Ganon was indeed concerned about him. But the hold was weak and this was not going to last long. "That wasn't my intent," he replied.

Ganon checked over the work he'd done, then headed out of the room. "I take it you want some truth out of me? Fine, I'll give it to you. What do you want to know?"

They were both aware of the truth potion; they were both aware that being aware meant some level of control was given back to the afflicted. Velken kept attentive to the usual signs to distinguish emotions and attempts to shift the truth about. "Your name used to be Gale, correct?"

"That's the most likely case," Ganon replied, turning to face him. He was not afraid to do so knowing that Velken had taught him about observation.

Nodding, Velken said, "You know, the usual baseline test. You're writing to Link under the name of Gale."

There was a flinch in his eyes. He felt shame at that being brought up? "That's correct."

"You know he's in love with you?"

"I got him to fall in love with me, yes." He was trying to shift back to being impassive.

"What for?"

Ganon didn't say anything for a few moments. He knew he couldn't hold back but he was trying. Was there something he was trying not to admit to himself going on here? "It's been a part of my plans for a long time. I know how the Hylian legends go. I've studied them. And with some records here, I've discovered how much work went into Albertos and Abigail's manipulations to get one going now. They had no shame, not even considering the chance that doing so would led to the end of them." And he stopped again.

"That doesn't answer my question," Velken prodded.

"Don't do that!" Ganon snapped, a powerful fury born from internal pain lashing out. He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down as he explained, "Do you realize how much I have to restrict myself to make sure you keep living? I know what you're up to. I know you're here trying to spy on me for the others and do what you can to assist the two in the tower. If I let the destructive elements become fully aware of that, you will become nothing but a memory and a bloodstain. And if you go like that, I'll lose more control to them and things will get even worse."

That wasn't something Velken had thought of. But even as he started to feel some sympathy, he also felt drawn to drop it again. "The destructive elements?" he asked, hoping that explaining more would help calm Ganon back down.

"I have become the embodiment of evil," Ganon said. "That's the role decided for me. I am bound by its form. I..." his breath quickened and he asked, "Would you say my name again?"

"Ga..." Velken stopped himself, then changed what he was saying to, "Gale?"

That worked to calm him down finally. "You're affected by the forces too, you know. You're not an evil man, I know that. Because of that, it feels like something keeps trying to push you away. That would be better overall. Sooner or later, you'll end up dead trying to keep up with what you're doing. I did everything I could to drive you all away before I crossed that line, make sure you were taken care of no matter what the end results are. I know my role and I made all my plans based around it."

"So you decided to seduce Link?" Velken asked.

"Right, it makes things fall into place easier," Ganon said. "It has not gone entirely to plan, but so far it's been successful. That's it, he's someone else I'm using. It's what's expected of me. I can't get too attached to him or things will get more complicated." He bit his tongue, struggling against the truth potion again. "Before long, whatever of me was Gale will be gone entirely. I knew that and still went ahead with things. It will be worth it; it has been worth it."

The truth potion was fading fast. Seeing there wasn't much time, he made a decision just with a gut feeling. "But how do you feel about Link? Do you love him back?"

"What are you trying to do?" he asked.

"Find out something that could affect what I decide in the future," Velken told him plainly.

"I have to keep detached or things will get messy," Ganon said, surprisingly giving in to the truth potion. "I have to be capable of cutting him loose and letting his love turn to hate if that suits the situation. That has been in the plans all along as well." He stopped suddenly, then shook his head. "It seems you're out of time. Don't try this again or I might decide you're not worth keeping around for any reason."

"Very well, I apologize," Velken said, bowing to him.

"Now get back to your assignment and don't bother me," he said, waving him off and returning to his work.

What he got from that gave him more to consider in all this. The destructive elements… it sounded like Gale had managed to summon and fuse with the old Gerudo king Ganondorf, later known as the beast king Ganon. Perhaps Gale was a descendent, perhaps his natural Gerudo heritage was enough. That might account for the name-changing and complete change of personality. Gale was trying to manipulate everyone, even his ancestral spirit, in order to reach some goal. Claiming the Triforce was possibly it. Except that if Gale had studied the legends, he'd know that it would split apart again if claimed by someone with an evil heart. And he'd accepted becoming evil.

Perhaps the boy king had really been pushed too far by Albertos, making him willing to go this far for revenge or some other idea. He was even willing to seduce the hero, the person whose role would lean towards a good person with strong ideals. Gale and perhaps even Ganon could see the need to keep detached and rational. And he looked to be succeeding, willing to erase any form of individuality and goodness for what he wanted.

Velken was loyal to Gale. The old Gale, the one who had been a leader willing to sacrifice himself if it meant a better life for those who followed him. And that thought made Velken realize that that was exactly what was going on here. That was why Ganon made sure to warn him while he was under a truth potion's effects. He was doing what he could to make sure Velken survived this and could possibly have a better future when everything about this was said and done. However, it might be the last good thing he ever did.

There was Link to think about here. Velken didn't know much about him, but the letter indicated that one of his first thoughts on waking up in a prison cell had to be a desire to write to Gale and at least say that he was alive. Depending on how his feelings were, he might be completely blind to what was really going on. That kind of abuse was an unforgivable thing in Velken's mind. Gale had wronged Link from the very start and the chance to redeem the king was growing smaller the more time went on.

There was also Zelda to think about. Ganon wanted to kill her and that was a threat Velken could more easily work against. Link would need someone else to alert him to the truth. Velken could try, but he was naturally disinterested in romance and wouldn't know how to help. Who could help? Not Zelda, her feelings about Ganon would cause problems if she tried. But there had to be someone else that Link knew and trusted enough to listen to even on tough matters.

For now, he was best off taking care of those two and making sure they escaped alive.


	13. Tower Imprisonment

**Chapter 13: Tower Imprisonment**

Throughout the lands of Hyrule, things were looking grim. Word had spread far and wide now that both the princess and the man that most people thought was the hero had been captured by Ganon. Monsters were everywhere; no matter how many were defeated, their numbers would be back up the next day. The land was starting to degrade from dark magic, trade between towns had almost stopped entirely, and everyone was afraid to some degree. No one was sure what was going to happen.

There came one day when a few people glanced out the windows or peeked outside to see how things were going. If they happened to be looking towards Hyrule Castle, they stopped cold. Then they called others to see and curiosity spread. A strange swirl of clouds had grown right over the castle, full of orange, red, and black. While a few other clouds were in the sky, none were connected to the perfect spiral there.

A few hours later, the sky was ripped apart with the furious roars of dragons. At the center of it all, Ganon tried to clasp the Septdraco tightly. He had done the ritual correctly. He had researched it five different ways and combined all the facts into a method that should have worked as he wanted. However, the dragons were fighting back more fiercely than he expected. Their magics pulled at his soul until they broke free.

Seven evil dragons fled to various parts of the land. They were full of rage at their imprisonment and at the man who tried to control him. Aware that they were meant to be at certain places, they flew to those places and settled in to reign over the lesser creatures as they once had.

The storm that had gathered took in all that dark magic and raged across Hyrule as well.

* * *

Zelda sat at the writing desk with the window securely locked. This storm had been going for three days now. At times, it quieted down to dry rumbles with sun rays trying to break through. But the storm was born of magic and not yet ready to die. Right now, rain poured down the window in a wavy sheet. Bolts of lightning were frequent across the roof of Hyrule Castle. Somewhere out in all of that were the escaped dragons.

She tried to study the storm, find a way to break up the magic maintaining it. But she needed a better view of the clouds in order to find that way. There was no questioning that its source was in the failed summoning of the Septdraco dragons. Did Ganon still control this? It would make sense to her that he did, keeping it out of spite or a misplaced sense of injustice.

Frowning, she crossed her arms on the windowsill and rested her head there. Whenever she thought about him, she still felt a powerful fury over all that he had done. There was nothing in the world that would deserve all of this as a reaction. He might claim he was injured and mistreated, but that didn't excuse destroying everyone else's lives. When she got out of here and in a position to actually do things, she wanted to completely destroy him. His character, his reputation, his power, everything; he had to be eliminated from the world.

But, she didn't want to go as far as he did. Zelda wanted to see Ganon destroyed. Never mind what precedent legends had, she personally wanted him gone. She didn't want to ruin anyone else in doing that, though. If she didn't care about the collateral damage, she'd be all too like him. And maybe she shouldn't be involved much in fighting against him, as her anger against him was so strong.

"I wonder if there's still time to turn myself into a warrior princess," she said to the storm. "Or even a sorceress. I hate being helpless."

But the storm had no good answers to give her.

* * *

How much time had passed?

Thunder rumbled past the walls, accompanied by the drone of rain on the roof. Link was waking up slowly, or perhaps falling back asleep. In this state, his body felt heavy and his mind fuzzy. He wasn't sure of where he was, just somewhere unfamiliar. It seemed completely enclosed in stone with a dim light that wasn't under his control. In this barren place where little changed, time was uncertain.

Time… he closed his eyes. It took such little time for things to change, to become tragic. Epona hadn't been out of his sight more than five minutes; he'd failed her. Gale had given him a good plan to go after Zelda; he'd failed both of them as well. Maybe he wasn't really cut out to be a hero. Because of his dreams, he had a connection to the past heroes and a wealth of experience from them. That still wasn't enough.

So little time for tragedy to strike… he remembered getting a letter from his parents when they were off fighting under conscription. Their house had been quiet and still without them, but he had expected them to come back so their life would go on as normal. Within a day, another message came that many of their unit had ended up killed in battle, including them. And there was something ominous in this rain. People had put their hopes in him and here he was barely able to keep awake.

A shadow shifted in a corner of the room. "You must really hate me now," Link mumbled.

"There's no use in fighting you now," the shadow replied. "You're still blind. There is still farther for you to fall, far farther. Don't."

He closed his eyes and the rain droned on.

* * *

Although it was a sign of his failure, Ganon felt a sense of comfort listening to the storm he had caused. It was like everything he had tried to hide was out there making itself heard. Listening to the rain pound against the windows, he remembered days he'd felt powerless and useless in spite of being addressed as a king. All that shame and tears he had to hide while doing his best to look strong and confident in front of his people, it was raging out there at never being heard. No one would ever know that but him. Still, he felt calm now. He was on the path he'd chosen and things were falling into place. He'd already accomplished his more personal goals. Anything beyond this, well it was for the sake of a better world. Everyone would suffer and know real pain. When the storm ended, they would be more mindful of each other.

It would sound crazy if he tried to tell anyone else. But the storm reassured him that it would all come out okay. There was all the bitter feelings that he had to swallow before, lashing out as lighting and thunder across the land. He was in power now. He still had to watch what he was saying, but he'd claimed his vengeance. The monster that had terrorized him in his dreams was dead.

Still, there were things to do now. He didn't control the dragons of the Septdraco, but it didn't matter. They were basically doing what he had planned on and people knew that it was his work. As long as they knew that, they didn't need to know that he had no control over them. And even if they found out, what would it matter? He had the power to summon them and he had the power to destroy them. If there was a suitable reason, of course, like if everyone begged him to do it and swore they'd be obedient to his rule.

There was a little nagging thought that doing so was going too far. That he'd already gone too far. It was a misplaced conscience, although he couldn't get rid of it yet. There was too much left to do before he could throw away all restraint and humanity. Thankfully, the rattling glass and pounding wind didn't let him worry over any of that for long. He could be a force of nature too; knowledge like that was empowering.

He turned his thoughts back to skimming the journal he had. Since he'd summoned the dragons, he had time to search through the royal quarters. Ganon held the king's journals and was glad that the storm was around because otherwise he might not be able to keep his temper in check. These writings were where Albertos did not have to hide his cruelty or inflated ego. And in this one, he found a reference to the suicide of Hizza Rat. The journal included the claim that Hizza had stolen the Master Sword and hidden it away in a bewildering wood.

While Albertos had only wrote this down to make fun of him for being conceited, Ganon knew it was the truth. A bewildering wood… he could think of two places that fit the descriptor and both he and Link had already been in one of them. There was definitely places in the Trickster's Grotto that he had not seen; Link might not have as much of an excuse for missing it, but Hizza seemed cunning enough to carve out a part of the place for himself. The other place was further to the southeast of Taven, in the Deku Forest. The Deku Forest was said to be home to fairies as well as an ancient forest god. However, even the exceptionally clever Hizza would have great difficulty making a hideout in the Deku Forest. The thief's vanity would not be satisfied with putting a treasure where he could not return to admire it and gloat to himself.

There were other things that Albertos wrote in this journal, proofs that he and his wife had set things up so that the next iteration of the Legend of Zelda would crop up in their lifetime. They'd even tried to cripple their own daughter's intellect through lots of useless information in order to make her more vulnerable. While it hadn't worked entirely, this was good proof to convince Link to be in his favor. And he should be fully recovered now; not at the top of his game for having been locked away in a prison room for over a month, but enough that he should be able to escape with Zelda in a day or two.

That meant it was time to put all that he'd done to good use. Ganon shut the journal and tucked it away in his coat pocket. There was another item in there, a magical key that he had enchanted himself. Given that Hizza would take measures to secure his hideout and treasure horde, it seemed best to give Link the means to bypass such things. Others might say it was counterproductive for him, in the role of the villain, to give Link, in the role of the hero, a free chance to escape with the princess and claim the sword said to be the bane of all evil. But the Triforce of Courage wasn't going to show up if Link stayed locked up in a tower. If he escaped, rescued Zelda along with himself, claimed the sword, and fought the evil dragons out there, there was no way that the Triforce would not accept him as a worthy bearer of Courage.

And all he really needed was enough time to touch the Triforce. Anything more was a bonus, really.

Ganon checked his forces on the way to the prison tower. Velken was hiding, but hints at his presence were around the place. Thankfully, he hadn't tried to speak to him again and stuck with taking care of the prisoners. He should know better than to interrupt now. All of the monsters on their potential routes of escape were ones that Link was capable of handling without the Master Sword. There would be enough challenge to not make him suspicious, but not more than he could take care of himself. And if something did go awry, Velken was capable of taking out a good portion of the monsters as well.

At the top, there was a single Stalfos pacing around as a guard. It moved aside and saluted for him. Not even acknowledging it, Ganon took the magic key and unlocked Link's cell with it. Link was walking around now, trying to get his strength back. On hearing the door unlock, he backed up towards the wall where a loose strand of chain was lying. Then he came towards him. "Gale? How did you get in here?"

"Hello, Link," Ganon said, smiling at him. "I made a magical key that should get me in to anywhere, that's how. You seem to be doing well."

"They have been taking good care of me, surprisingly," he said, unguarded as Ganon came up and put a hand on his shoulder. "But it's dangerous here, you know that."

"Of course I know," he said, then pushed him back into the wall. Link didn't know what to make of that, so he didn't even move as Ganon took control of the manacles by magic and chained him up against the wall.

"Gale, why?" he asked, looking over at one of the chains.

"I thought it'd be nice to see you chained up," he said, leaning in and touching his chin. A crash of thunder made it through the stone walls. "But I've also got something to tell you, something important. I've been here all along."

Link was not as well studied as others involved in this legend, that much couldn't be denied. But he wasn't an idiot either. His expression showed that he clearly understood what he was implying. He also didn't want to accept that, which left him at a loss for words.

"That's right, I'm really Ganon," he said. "I've been that way ever since we met in Trickster's Grotto. Didn't you ever think there was something suspicious about me? That one time we met up in the Gerudo Desert just happens to be the day that Ganon is out of the castle long enough for the others here to attempt to escape with the princess? That should have seemed strange. But more than that, just how many Gerudo men are around? Even with my people all scattered to the winds, some things remain firmly in place. There's only ever one male Gerudo born every hundred years; there's no way there would be two of us living in the same time being of the same age unless the two were actually one."

Although Ganon gave Link a moment to think on that, he didn't respond. He actually drew back when he tried to touch him again. Being silent was his defensive measure, after all. Maybe he could wreck all of the progress they had made trying to get Link more comfortable with talking. That would be perfect.

"Then you never questioned who I was? You're slow in some matters after all. And it was really easy to win you over so fast. Do you realize that now? All I had to do was find your insecurity, then butter you up so that your opinion of yourself changed."

Link was trying to back away, but Ganon had drawn the chains tight. There was nowhere for him to go. So Ganon came closer, well into his personal space.

"And such a silly insecurity at that. You, the one chosen as the hero, were so ashamed at your own voice that you hardly spoke to any but the horses? Those actions alone would make you a strange person to others. But from someone who's supposed to be the embodiment of courage? Your goddesses must have low standards. You even wanted to leave your hometown to get away from a pushy girl who was trying to take advantage of you just as I have. Although she clearly wasn't going about it in an intelligent manner if it drove you away from her like that.

"Now you're stuck here in this tower with the flimsy little princess over there, all because you trusted the person you were actually fighting against. You're not turning out to be much of a hero, are you? Because you wrote so much to me, I know all about you. I know you'd do what other people tell you mostly because you don't want to argue about such things. I know that you're actually lazy and would rather not be rushing around on some inane fetch quest around Hyrule for a sword that wasn't even there when you got to its supposedly secure shrine. And I know that your passion for me burns strongly and keeps you up some nights wanting to be with me."

At that, Link finally looked at him with an intensely hateful glare, full of that passion turned right into pain. It made a shiver run down Ganon's spine from a thrill of cutting so deeply without even drawing blood. Still, it wasn't the proper time for Link to be hating him. There was so much more than could be done. So he moved to confuse Link instead by kissing him right then. He tried to get out of it, but the chains kept him on the wall and Ganon further restricted his movement by putting hand on his collarbone. After a few seconds, Link stopped resisting and was trembling.

Ganon shifted his entire demeanor to something more suitable. It wasn't to his liking, but he made himself seem weaker by hunching over and leaning against the wall like he was tired. "I'm sorry," he said in a quiet voice on the verge of breaking.

"What?" Link asked, completely baffled. But the hate was gone and he looked to him as if wanting to believe him.

And right as he'd told him how foolish it was that he'd believed before. But that had to stay unsaid. "I am Ganon, but I am still Gale too. I just find myself being less of the latter as time goes on, especially after nearly everyone left me here. Look, uh, you're from a forest town. You know about grafting trees?"

Link nodded. It was a believable explanation then. To build a variety of crops, sometimes those who farmed fruit trees would cut into one tree and attach a branch from a similar variety into the cut. The tree would then grow with the new branch, letting it bear two kinds of fruit at once.

"That's sort of what happened over a year ago when I called on Ganon as my ancestral spirit," he said. "I was in a bad position and desperate for any measure to accomplish my goals. But I hardly recognize myself now. He's taken over almost entirely. I did plan on manipulating you knowing what was going to happen; I think he keeps my voice around because he's not interested in writing letters and it's easier for me to communicate with you instead. Though, I have come to admire you all the same. You're not after glory or power, just doing what you feel is right and trying to help people. I wish I could have had the same integrity."

"Gale, you," he hesitated, some part of him cautious. But his sympathy was stronger and he looked at him. "You can still get rid of him, can't you? You called him, you should be able to send him away."

"It's not that simple," he said. "The both of us are bound by legend now. Powers far greater than us have decided how things should be, what our roles are. Things have progressed so far that we can't stop it. I'm the villain, and you're the hero. At the end of it all, you're going to kill me."

"No, I can't," Link trembled and closed his eyes. "I can't do that..."

"But that is how the legends end," Ganon said. That thrill was powerful, of playing him exactly how he wanted. He could get any reaction he wanted if he just said or did the right things. At moments, there was an occasional twinge in his heart for doing this to him. But no, this had to be done and it was better to have fun with it while he could. "There are a few exceptions, but then you'd be the one to die instead and I don't want that. I made a terrible decision, I'll admit that now. You've been the virtuous one who wants to bring peace to the land; you should be the one who survives this."

"I can't..."

Ganon put a hand on Link's cheek, getting him to calm down a little. "I'm really sorry about this. But you have to realize that we aren't in control of our lives anymore. It's a fate we can't escape. At least, not if things go as normal. I've been trying to find way to get out, but my priority was making sure that my people survived without blame for my actions. I don't want to see Sudai go the way of the Gerudo people. Although I wish I hadn't dragged you along into my foolish plans like I had. It would've been better if we kept apart, just following the roles that were planned for us."

"But do you really have to die?" Link asked, his voice heavy with sadness. "Ganon has survived and come back."

"He has, as an evil soul tied to the Triforce of Power," he said. "As Gale, I will have to die. I've accepted that."

"But that's not right!" Link said.

Ganon put a finger on Link's lips to stop him. "I've ruined many people with all I've done. And I've hurt you terribly. I should be stopped. I..." he stopped for a moment and looked away, to seem like he was just as emotional here. It was a calculated move; there shouldn't be any emotion to this for his part. Although, there was something that might completely derail things if he let his willpower break. Or, would that help secure Link's loyalty?

Link's lips trembled and he couldn't find what he wanted to say again. It was enough to make Ganon feel somewhat guilty about just leaving it at that. Well, it wasn't going to change things that much.

"I know what must be done," Ganon said, making the words sound forced. Then he spoke more naturally, "but being with you makes me want to do completely different things. If I had a chance to do what I really wanted, I," he looked Link in the eyes and saw that he was listening. He probably wanted out of the chains just to embrace him. So Ganon kissed him again, far more passionately than the first one.

This method of seduction was different, but he had to admit that manipulating someone this personally had a lot of pleasant advantages over other means like controlling through fear.

* * *

Rain was still pouring down the roof, often punctured by noisy lightning. When would this storm end? It was disorienting to Link, making it hard to tell how long he'd been in here. He knew someone other than Ganon was taking care of his head injury, but had only recently seen that person. Had that been today? Or yesterday, or longer than that? He wasn't sure.

Although he was able to get up and walk around without feeling dizzy, Link was lying on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. The morning he'd come to the castle trying to reach Zelda seemed far longer ago than it could logically be. A totally different time… what was he going to do now?

He had been reading a journal that Gale had left him, one that King Albertos had kept. There was a marked entry that referenced the theft of the Master Sword, to it being in a mystifying wood. Was that Trickster's Grotto? There were places that he knew he'd never reached there. The only other mystifying woods he could think of was the home of the forest guardian, but Hizza shouldn't be able to reach that place.

But there were other things in that journal that troubled him, like plans on how to educate Zelda in such a way that she wouldn't be capable of fighting back if someone tried to capture her. Elsewhere, there was a part that suggested the king had taken advantage of Gregio's disapproval of more aggressive policies to send him out into the lands so he was there to train a potential hero. Then there was a disgustingly proud part talking of how the presence of a neighboring kingdom's prince being clearly of Gerudo descent was a sign that the legends could take place in their daughter's generation… Link hadn't been able to read past that one and had thrown it onto the ground after finishing that entry.

Although his mind drifted to those problems, they weren't the main thing on his mind. Gale was actually Ganon; he'd been using him. He hadn't kept writing out of falling in love with him, but he'd fallen in love anyhow. Hadn't he? He could still be lying and acting. Link didn't want to believe that, but it might be happening. So he'd been an idiot all along and was doing what Ganon wanted him to.

Which was, to get the Master Sword? He'd left the journal with that entry marked. And there was the other thing he'd left behind: the magical key that might be able to unlock any lock, perhaps even those odd seals that had been in the Grotto last time. Ganon had given him the means to get out of this cell. Maybe he really thought he had to die? But that still felt horribly wrong. There was what was written in Albertos' journal: the already flimsy sounding story about the Sudain conquest seemed a lot more insidious. Gale's parents had died then and he'd been forced to swear allegiance to their killer and submit to their control. While there was no question that Ganon was doing terrible things, killing him meant killing Gale. Ganon would survive even that and emerge again in a few generations. That wasn't right! Link couldn't see how he could go along with that.

At the same time, there was that voice in his mind that was stricter about responsibilities. He'd agreed to become the hero and Hyrule was suffering dark times. He had to destroy the villain because there weren't many in the world capable of doing all that was needed to take him down. While he'd thought that was a sensible thing before, it felt more foreign now. It was the right thing to do. If he had the ability to end all this suffering, he should do all he could towards that goal. But that meant killing the person he loved.

Link wondered if he should be more horrified to realize that he was in love with a villain. He was definitely horrified to know that Gale would end up dying. But while he still felt betrayed for having been fooled like this, he just couldn't bring himself to hate Gale. Maybe he could hate Ganon if their souls were grafted together and the older spirit was taking over. Gale had made terrible choices. But, Link still loved him. He could close his eyes and think back over the kiss, and then want so badly to be with him again. If he could just convince Gale to run off somewhere, anywhere in the world, that'd be wonderful. He wouldn't mind never coming back to Hyrule again if it meant being with him. Forget everyone else, he wanted to save Gale most of all.

That wasn't going to happen. Gale was convinced that he had to accept his fate and the only thing he could do personally was try not to take anyone else down with him. Ganon was going along with this plan because he wanted the Triforce. In fact, that could be why Gale was allowed to leave behind his key. Once Link escaped, everyone and everything around him would be subtlety pushing him towards the fate that had been decided on, that the hero would defeat the villain and everyone would live happily ever after. Except Gale, because he'd be dead. And not himself either because getting that happy ending would mean throwing away his own heart and not caring any more.

"Nothing's going to get accomplished just staying here," Link said to himself, then sat up and shook his head. He didn't like any of this anymore. But the fact of the matter was that many more people were suffering because of all this. It was that more responsible voice that wanted him to stay on the path of being a hero, but it did have a point. He was responsible for part of this tragedy, especially if things got worse because he was doing nothing.

Zelda was here, just across the hall. And there was one of Sudain generals left behind, the man who'd been helping him heal up. Picking the journal back up off the floor, Link glanced around at what was in his cell. There was a stalfos patrolling around in the hallway, a monster he didn't think he could take down with his bare hands. This journal was too light to be useful against it; same with the magic key even if it could get him outside. He'd been given meals, but there currently wasn't anything from those left behind. A good heavy mug might be able to do something. He had the summoning chain still on his wrist, but he'd not messed with that much aside from making sure he could call on Balrog when needed.

Across the room, there was a loose length of chain that wasn't attached to the wall. Link went over and picked it up to see how it was. It was heavy and strong, although it didn't have anything on the ends that could be used as a ball and chain weapon. Maybe if he twirled it around and used it like a whip? That just seemed like a bad idea all around, more likely to hit himself with. Besides, the hall out there wasn't wide enough for swinging the whole chain around.

There was the pillow he had, or more specifically, the fabric case over it. It wasn't quality cloth, but it only had to last through one attack, maybe two if he got unlucky. After putting the chain in the pillowcase, he set the journal back on the bed to free up his hands and took the magic key. Although he was inside the cell, the key still went in backwards and unlocked the door. Link tucked the key into his pants pocket and put a hand on the door to keep it shut.

Listening, he could tell where in the hallway the stalfos was. It was passing his door into the shorter part of the hall… turning around and walking back by the door. Link pulled the door open slowly and slipped out as soon as he could. At a steady pace, it would take the stalfos half a minute to turn back around and see him. They could survive the destruction of most of their body, but a good strike to the head would be a one hit kill. Link whirled the makeshift weapon around and slammed it onto the stalfos' skull. It cracked and turned to smoke instantly, dropping the actual prison keys on the floor.

Link looked ahead and saw a large chest at the far end of the hall, closer to the second doorway that had to lead into the other cell. There was a third door across from it, and a fourth behind him. Since it was closer, he turned around and checked what was that way. It turned out to be the staircase down the tower. Since this was a key, could it lock things too? Link tested it out and managed to lock the stairway door down. Good, that would give them a little more time before someone noticed. He knocked on the other cell door and then unlocked it.

"Are you up now?" Zelda asked, coming to the door as he opened it. She was wearing a floor length night gown and her hair was unbrushed, but she looked fine. And her cell was a lot nicer than his. "You were severely hurt when you arrived."

"I'm fine," he said. "We're leaving."

She smiled. "Good, but could you give me a few minutes first? There's some clothes in here that should be fine for traveling; wouldn't want to go out in that storm like this."

Link nodded and shut the door again to give her privacy. He then unlocked the chest at the end of the hall to see what was there. To his surprise, it was all of his gear: depth bag with things in it, the chain mail that went under his tunic, and the hat that had been taken off to bandage up his head. He put the latter two back on before checking on the bag for his inventory. These bags were enchanted to have greater depths than they seemed to have, so that took some time.

Everything was there as well. His rupee bag was still full up and the small vials of medicine were untouched. The larger bottles were all empty now, but all four that he'd gotten were still there. In other side pockets, he found the diving gear, the bomb bag with the assortment of normal and underwater bombs, the trirang, the bow and quiver, the camping gear, Sophie's lamp, the pan flute… everything was still as he arranged them. That was just as surprising as this stuff being left so close to where he was being held. Maybe it was Gale's influence.

Since he got done before Zelda did, he shut the chest to have somewhere to sit while he checked over the pan flute. Was there anything he could do about Gale? There were many magical songs out there and he could remember more if he tried. Something that might help… he could recall one powerful song, but didn't want to play it. That was the one that broke time apart for the Hero of Time and Link wasn't looking to make things even more complicated.

But he could recall that same hero playing another song that could help. Link closed his eyes and tried to draw out that melody. It was a song to reach out to those who were losing hope and suffering, to bring hope back to those unfortunate souls. Some of them were beyond being saved: the ghost of a hero who had already died, a dying father that wanted to do all he could to save his family and that wasn't enough. The Song of Healing was like grieving, sad and mournful. But it was a sadness keeping hold onto hope, looking for some way to a better life.

Once he had it where he could play it, he knew that it was most useful for those on the verge of death or just beyond it. It would give the dying peace. As for the living, it could reawaken hope and help them endure longer than they would have alone. Maybe it could give Gale the willpower to try fighting his fate again. But hope without a means to fulfill it wasn't helpful.

The song did give Link some ideas that he hadn't thought about before. Like the summoning chain on his wrist. The problem with fulfilling a legend was that it would try to kill Ganon and end up killing Gale instead. But was there a way to undo the grafting of souls like that? The Song of Healing might be useful in that instance to strengthen Gale's resolve to live. That way, he could satisfy the greater forces that were trying to guide them along a prescribed path. He was saving the princess now, and he could save the one he loved later on while still defeating the villain and ending this time of darkness. He just had to find a way to separate Ganon and Gale.

"That's a song to heal wounded souls, isn't it?" Zelda asked as she came out of her room. She was now wearing pants under a gray hooded cloak that seemed a couple sizes too big on her; a white crescent moon was on the side and seemed too distinctive for someone who didn't want to be noticed. But it would protect her from getting wet and being exposed to the sun if this storm ended. She did have very fair skin that would burn quickly.

"Right," Link said, putting the flute away. "How should we get out of here?"

"We don't have any options until we get to the base of this tower," Zelda said. "Once we're down there, we can see where monsters are posted and decide from there. But first, can we go up the stairs over there? I want a better look at the storm."

"From the top of a tower?" Link asked her, thinking that was far too dangerous.

"There's too much lightning out there for you to risk doing that," another man said. Link tensed and looked over at the door to see the man who'd been taking care of him through this.

"I guess," Zelda said, not worried about him. "I wanted to end the storm, as it's been going on far too long. Link, this is Velken; he's already agreed to help us get out of the castle."

"I'll be leaving Ganon's service today," Velken said. "Don't worry about me; let's get going."

"All right," Link said, getting up from the chest and going to unlock the door down the tower. Velken should be good in a fight, especially since he was one of the generals of Sudai.

The stairwell down the tower was mostly full of keese, as well as three beamos that Link shot at to deactivate before they got into range of attack lasers. At the bottom of the tower, there were three stalfos standing around. Velken warped down to take them out quickly while Link stayed with Zelda to make sure she was safe. He had some kind of dark-bladed weapon, maybe a short sword. But when Velken met with them, he'd already hidden his sword away again.

At the base of the tower, Zelda used her Triforce piece to look into the monsters that were keeping guard around the castle. "We should head towards the stables," she said, indicating the hallway to the west. "There's a path from the inner pasture that heads directly out of the outer walls so that the horses could run in the fields. While there's a heavily armored monster in the pasture, we should be able to sneak by it. We can certainly outrun it if needed."

"All the defenses there make sure people don't get in that way," Velken said. "We'll be fine going out."

The halls that the other two picked out were meant for servants. Thus, they were smaller and less decorated than the main halls. There were a few ghastly knights on patrol, but some patience made them simple to evade. At one point, they had a look into the kitchen and saw redeads down there. The unsettling zombies didn't notice them passing by.

As for the heavily armored monster in the pasture, it was certainly impressive. The reptilian skin and large berth made Link think that it was an old dodongo. Not only did it have natural armor that would be hard for any weapon to pierce through, it also had a custom spiked metal plate armor with a huge saddle on top. Link wondered what kind of rider would use a dodongo for a mount. The dinosaurs weren't known for being fast until they rolled up like a boulder and bulldozed their way through anything.

As Zelda thought, they were easily able to sneak by the dodongo and into the gated passage to Hyrule fields. Link considered offering the use of his magic key, but Zelda knew a song that would cause the magical locks to raise the gates temporarily for them. He recognized it as Zelda's Lullaby, a song that was supposed to be used by the royal family and those serving them. Did it check to see that the singer was her? If the song itself was enough of a key, this passage could be something to keep in mind for later.

On getting out of the castle walls, Zelda hurried down the short drawbridge to turn and look back up at the swirling storm clouds. She showed no hesitation at getting into the slick mud to do so. Link followed her over, but then Velken tugged at his sleeve. "Where are you going now?"

"I have to find the Master Sword," he said.

"It's in Trickster's Grotto by your hometown of Taven," Zelda said, still studying the storm.

Velken nodded, continuing across the drawbridge and glancing around for threats. "I should report to Leonidas. After that, I have some things I want to check out. Could you take her to Sudai Castle? Our new king Joachim is there waiting for her."

"Sure," Link said, taking hold of the horseshoe charm on the summoning chain. Balrog appeared obediently on the bridge, showing no trouble with the rain and lightning.

Velken glanced over the horse, then turned back to keeping watch. "Also, you were under heavy medication when something major happened. Ganon used the Septdraco to summon seven dragons that had been sealed inside the artifact. He lost control of them and they're now wild through all the provinces of Hyrule, even in the northern lands that were never conquered. Your horse is supernatural, but be aware of your surroundings. The dragons will be dangerous to challenge even after you get the Master Sword. It should still be greatly effective as these dragons are creatures of evil."

"We'll be careful," he said. So now there were dragons? Those definitely had to be gotten rid of.

Zelda then put her hands together at her chest and bowed her head. A golden light shone around her before shooting up towards the clouds. Seconds later, a bright lightning bolt struck down ten feet away. Link had just managed to close his eyes in time for that. "That should do it," Zelda said after giving them some time tor recover their hearing. "Not right away, but it will start falling apart now."

"We'd better not stick around," Velken said. "Be seeing you." He then vanished into thin black smoke.

"Thanks for taking me to Joachim," Zelda said to him. "Hopefully Ganon won't do the same as last time. But first, could you bring out your bow?"

He nodded and got it out of his bag. After handing the bow to her, he brought out the quiver too. There weren't many arrows in his possession, but he wanted this in easy reach.

Putting her hands on the sighting guide, she used a different magic as he put the quiver on his back. "This isn't how things are normally done. But with the dragons about, we don't want to be caught unprepared. The Master Sword will be able to strike down beings of evil like the dragons, but so can these light-enchanted arrows. It's a spell I found in my family records; usually it's one of the last enchantments that a hero gains. I think these will prove even more practical when it comes to dragons since you won't have to lure them into melee range to fight them."

Light Arrows? Those were one of the most powerful weapons around as nearly every monster was weak to them. If he picked up a bigger quiver to keep more arrows, he could potentially go without any of the other weapons that he had. Although, just about everything had some use that he could think of. "Thanks. Need help getting on my horse?"

"Yes, it's too tall for me." She handed his bow back and then he helped her get up in the front of the saddle. Link mounted behind her to make sure she could remain steady. Then he tugged at the reins and gave the signal to go at a light run, to get used to how this horse moved.

He'd signaled for a light run but Balrog quickly reached speeds that Epona could only reach at a gallop. Zelda gave a gasp of surprise and clung onto his hand to stay in place. When Link pulled to turn towards a bridge to cross a river, Balrog ignored the bridge and ran straight across the water, not even bothering to jump. There were definitely advantages to having a supernatural horse.

"We're going to go faster," Link said in warning.

"It can go faster?" Zelda asked in shock.

"Of course," he said, then gave the signal. Balrog broke into his gallop and they whirled around the southern side of the castle town and were leaving it far behind a minute later. Magic automatically rose up from the horse's helm and created a shield to keep the speed from blasting them in the face with wind and rain. In spite of all that had happened, Link broke out into a grin at this. Epona had left him a great gift as Balrog was a real speed demon.

As it turned out, they'd left the castle in the early afternoon. By the time the sun set, at a late time as it was the start of summer, they had arrived at Kakariko. That trip should have taken two days to complete. Link slowed Balrog down to a reasonable trot in order not to terrify the townspeople who might remember when this horse first showed up here. At the gate leading into town proper, they found a Hylian knight and a Sudain knight standing guard while the gate itself was closed shut.

"Good evening," Zelda called, waving to them.

"Princess Zelda?" the Hylian knight called in shock. "You've finally gotten away?"

"Yes, thanks to Link here," she said. "May we stay here for the night? It's been a crazy trek out here."

"Of course, hang on while we open the gate," he said, going to the side while the Sudain knight got the other. "May the goddesses bless you both; we've been waiting for a good sign like this."

The storm had ended out here too, but there was one still in his heart.


	14. Complication and Division

**Chapter 14: Complication and Division**

"Zelda, it's great to have you back!" someone said, coming up to the already crowded table.

"I'm glad you're all keeping safe," she said, smiling. While she worried some about Ganon pulling the same trick on her, she was happy to be out of the castle again. The townspeople were happy as well; it was an almost festive atmosphere inside the tavern where they had rented rooms for the night. People gathered around to see if it was her. Some didn't stay long as they went off to spread the good news, but more people came to see for themselves.

"Did you break that cursed storm?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes, I made sure to do that as soon as I could. I'm going to see what I can do against the spread of other dark magics as well."

"Where's the hero who rescued you? I've seen him around before; he fought off a terrifying phantom on a horse a while ago."

Glancing around, she noticed that he had slipped out of this room. Maybe he wasn't fond of crowds or all this noise. Thankfully, one of the first things he'd thought of was to contact two female knights to keep guard over her during their stay here in Kakariko. "He probably went off to bed to make sure he's in top condition for tomorrow."

"That's too bad, I was hoping to hear about his adventures. There's lots of rumors of things he's done already, like slaying a giant Likelike."

"He's done that," Zelda said with a nod. "And he was at a great disadvantage too. I could tell you some things that I've seen thanks to the powers of the Triforce." Although she was glad to tell them Link's story, she kept his love out of what she told them that evening. She still didn't know much about that man and it was a personal matter not to be shared without their permission.

It was close to midnight by the time the crowd had thinned enough for her to excuse herself for the night. The two knights followed her upstairs. "We've been on night duty, so we're fine with keeping watch for you overnight," one said. "We don't want to lose you again."

"Thank you, that puts me at ease," she said. If Ganon decided to come get her, there still wasn't much anyone could do to stop him. The tavern here did have teleport wards to keep people from using magic to get in and out. In a way, it could be worse if he had to fight his way to get to her.

Before they got back to her room, Zelda noticed that the light in Link's room was still on. How was he holding up? She knocked on the door. "Link?"

After a moment, he opened the door partly. "Isn't it late for you to be up?" he asked.

She smiled at that. "Not really; I was talking with everyone here. What about you?"

"I'm practicing," he said. That did make sense of why he had his sword still at his side. "Are you going to be all right with these guards?"

"Since this inn is teleport warded, we won't be caught off guard," one of the knights said.

"The town guard is alert too, though I do worry about them," Zelda said. Ganon could easily set the whole town ablaze if he really wanted to get at her.

Link leaned against the door frame, thinking about something. The other guard added, "We're determined to do all we can after the failures of stopping him so far."

"I don't think he'll be coming after you this time," Link said, his voice quiet.

"Right, he might just kill me instead," she said, frustrated about it.

He shook his head. "No, not that either. As long as you're alive, he knows where your Triforce piece is. He must suspect that something's gone wrong on my end, and probably knows that the Master Sword is missing. I think he let us get away since you're the one most capable of helping me fulfill my role."

"That could be," she admitted. "Though that also gives us a better chance of doing more to stop him. He'll come to regret that."

Oddly, Link didn't seem enthusiastic. "Right. Sorry, but I should get some sleep soon."

Or maybe he was tired from what practice he'd done. It had been a few hours since she'd noticed him leaving. "Of course. See you in the morning." She smiled and hoped that encouraged him.

* * *

When they stopped at the Kakariko inn to get a pair of rooms, people soon followed in to see if it really was the princess with him. They eagerly said that they were glad to see Zelda safe and hoped that Link could help to end the terrible things going on. And that he could defeat Ganon. While he understood what they meant, just getting rid of the villain they saw, he was unsettled by it all and had to leave after a while. It was even worse when it was Zelda herself saying it, a look to her eyes like she'd torch her own castle it that would end Ganon. She wasn't supposed to be a violent girl, but he had heard that she'd lost someone dearer to her than her parents. Although he knew it was an excuse, he managed to get out of the conversation without having her realize what he was going through.

It didn't work as he'd hoped. As soon as he shut the door from talking to her, he turned and faced his shadow self again. He really had been practicing, to burn off the tension from before. But then the shadow summoned itself and gave him one of the harshest lessons yet. Perhaps if Gregio had been in better shape, he would have been better able to keep up.

"You're not following the path of a hero," it said in its grating voice. It really was a nightmare version of himself. "You're dividing yourself further from her; she's the one you should protect."

Maybe it healing him was to drag out this torment. Link was tempted to put a Light Arrow through the shadow. That would surely destroy it. But at this point, it was a challenge without a real risk of death. "I'm not against her, I just don't want to talk to her."

"Don't make excuses. Will you betray Hyrule? You're deluding yourself with this plan to save a farce of a person."

"How do you know about that?" He'd not said anything about it.

"I am your shadow, of course," it said.

"Gale is not a farce, he really exists," Link said. "No one else is going to think of him."

"Once someone says they have lied to you, they can't be trusted to start telling you truths," the shadow said, starting to fade.

"I believe him, he really does love me," he said, tense.

"Then you will fall into corruption, bringing Hyrule down with you," the shadow said. Then it vanished, its warning given.

"That won't happen," Link said, although there was doubt about that. But Gale had shown his emotions when he kissed him, right? That had been such a strong connection; he wanted to believe in it. If Link was wrong about that belief, a lot more people could suffer the consequences. But if he was right, he was also right in that he would be the only one thinking about Gale.

He was tired, but it was long night with too many conflicting thoughts to sleep.

* * *

Dear Gale:

Are you going to be all right being alone in the castle? I wasn't sure about writing, but I ended up more worried about you than not, so obviously I've gone ahead.

I still feel confused about this. Mostly conflicted; I can tell now when something tries to guide my decisions. Whatever it is even called up my shadow to guilt trip me. But I still love you. You've been put into an awful position by life and you've done what you could to make the best of it. I really want to help get you out of that mess.

Are you sure there's no way you could escape the fate of the villain without one of us dying? If the two of you could become separate again, I'd do what I could to save you.

From Link, with love.

There was a brief thought of if Link was being cruel with his first question, pointing out that the three of them had escaped his watch. But no, Link wasn't the sort to be cruel. He'd be legitimately concerned. As much as he shouldn't be; he should be more concerned for himself.

But that helped Ganon, so he let the thought slide. He knew about Shadow Link as it had been an obstacle to past heroes. Was it talking to him this time? That would make sense of it trying to guilt trip him. Although it was a surprise to hear that the shadow had ended up on that summoning chain. As long as it didn't talk Link out of siding with him, Ganon didn't care what the shadow did. It might even end up helping him if it stressed him out further and Gale seemed to be the only one with sympathy.

Still, he was at a part of his plans where he needed to be patient. Keep up this connection to Link, don't let him drop it, get him to drop any connection to Zelda, and help him get to the point where the Triforce of Courage finally showed up. There really wasn't anything more Ganon needed to do. He could put more pressure on the provincial leaders to swear allegiance to him. But they'd hear that a hero was around and be less likely to give in.

He should make them all suffer for that. He should make the entirety of Hyrule's new lands despair so much that they wanted everything to end, with no hope in the hero. While the hero would win in the end because that's what was demanded, he should make sure they all had to struggle to get back to a semblance of peace and normality.

Ganon pinched at the back of his hand. That was the voice of evil again. But he had to be doing something to satisfy it or it would flood out his own thoughts. Maybe he should find something of moderate cruelty. Like some kind of bloodsport competition; such things had popped up in the past.

He wrote down a few ideas for that before turning back to responding to Link.

* * *

Dear Link:

I am glad to hear from you. You've got a head injury, so don't do anything stupid to aggravate it. The healing process for those can take a long time and symptoms might not show to others. If you start to feel overstimulated or overwhelmed, get to someplace quieter. You might keep away from crowds of people to be safe in that regards. And please keep writing me, even if it's nothing important and all inconsequential natter. I don't want to further lose myself; I was trying to keep some other people around me as countermeasures, but it's grown risky to them. Any social contact would be appreciated. Just be careful not to incite the darker voices if we end up meeting up again. And I hope we can meet up, I don't want to go crazy.

But if you've got a connection to this shadow self of yours through the summoning chain, there might be something you could do with that kind of magic...

Would you be my hero? That would be nice. Sorry if this ended up rambling and complicated. I want to help but I'm not sure how clear I'm being. Please let me know when you'll be alone so that I might come find you.

Love, Gale.

This letter had been three pages long, the middle of it being a discussion on summoning magic that Link couldn't fully understand. Gale would start to explain something, then introduce another idea without explain it. But he'd explain other things with the thing he wasn't explaining… Link ended up skimming it for anything he could understand. From what he could tell, it seemed that the horse Balrog had accepted him as a summoner and would obey him loyally. Because Shadow Link did not accept him, it would not obey him if he tried to call on it. It could potentially come out whenever it wanted. But it was easiest when he was alone like last night, and summoning Balrog drew from the same energy pool. So he could lessen the chance of Shadow Link appearing by calling on Balrog often.

There was no way to tell if Gale was lying in his writing. Maybe if he contradicted himself; Link wondered about comparing the letters. Yet if he was trying to teach him about summoning, did that mean he cared? Or he might be showing off. Or it might be Ganon confusing him with too much information. After too long of thinking it over with no clear answer, Link put the letter away and tried to focus on what he had to do today.

Although Link had offered to pay for the rooms, the innkeeper wouldn't take payment as it was Princess Zelda with him. They also got meals without charge, which Link appreciated after the limited food as a prisoner. It meant that he shared breakfast with Zelda that morning; she still seemed cheerfully oblivious to his discomfort. Then again, she'd been imprisoned for longer. He didn't feel right rebuking her.

"Are you not feeling well?" she finally asked. She'd been talking mostly with one of the town knights about taking back command of the Hylian forces. "You look like you didn't sleep well."

"I didn't," he said, focused more on finishing his food. Which was, he glanced down to see, fried eggs and hash browns with crumbled sausage and cheese. Not that it mattered, he was hungry and didn't care what it was.

"That's not good, not with you just having escaped the tower," Zelda said, furrowing her eyebrows in worry.

"I'll get you to Sudai's castle, don't worry," Link said. Balrog could go fast enough to evade most monsters. The dragons might be a problem. Still, he couldn't find the worry that he should have trying to escort the princess through unfamiliar places.

That did nothing to keep her from worrying. "Even if Ganon doesn't come after us, we should get there soon. You could stay there a few days, make sure you're in good shape before you go off hunting dragons and the sword."

There was a 'no' that he really wanted to say, but it got caught up in his throat unsaid. Their views were different, but he should be getting along with her as the hero and princess would help each other. That was…

He'd spent so long trying to find her and now here she was, out of his reach just in front of him. That orange crystal would be impenetrable. While it would keep her safe, there was still so much to do. She'd given him an incredible task, to destroy a demon that not even the goddesses could get rid of. She'd done so much to help him; some might say she was using him. However, knowing this gave Link confidence that he could do this impossible task for her. He had to. As otherwise, he wouldn't be seeing her again.

He would not give up; his spirit would not break.

...Link closed his eyes. That was how things should be… wasn't it? But that meant they were just following in the footsteps of the first legend, treading this adventure yet again. Things were different every time, such as how he barely knew her in this lifetime. That was how things should be, and yet he wanted nothing more to do with her once he got her to the castle in Sudai.

"Link? Is that all that's bothering you?"

He looked back at her and saw that she was leaning on the table, ready to listen. While she might think she was ready, he had a good idea of how she'd react on hearing what was really on his mind. "No," he said, trying to work out what to tell her. He had little connection to her this time but still felt uncomfortable outright lying to her.

"Is it about losing your horse?" she asked, sounding sympathetic. "Sorry, I saw signs of what was happening. It's an unfortunate loss."

And there was that too; Link tried not to grimace. There was an impulse to leave the table or just not talk anymore. Still, this kind of thing might be why the mark of the Triforce hadn't appeared with him yet. He would probably never be a chatty person, but he should be able to maintain some kind of conversation. Even this difficult one.

Of course, Zelda couldn't know how difficult she was making this for him. She must only want to help him. "She wasn't even a threat, but monsters don't discriminate. If it wasn't for..."

"That's not it," Link said, trying to stop her before she realized how much her words were driving him away. But that got him saying the wrong thing and having to get out of a misunderstanding. "I mean, it was my fault she died. That..."

She kept quiet this time, thankfully. Zelda had paused in her eating too, so she was listening. Unlike Gale, it didn't make him feel any more comfortable talking to her.

"It makes things worse," he finally said, feeling pathetic in this. The dining hall was quiet too, making his face get warm at the thought of others listening in. "It was distracting; I let someone else plan out trying to rescue you. I failed him too in getting captured. And, well, Gale's in trouble because of this mess I made. He's really important to me, and he's been helping me try to speak better. Not that I'm doing great, but, I'm actually talking, so.." where did he go from there? He couldn't tell her who Gale was.

"Is he the one you love?" she asked sadly. "When I was healing you, I kept getting dream-like images of someone like that. You're going through many hardships and not even I was fully aware of it. I'm sorry, I wanted to stop this before it started. But I couldn't do that in time and many have gotten hurt." She smiled, though her empathy made her seem on the brink of tears. "Still, you're a hero and you've done great things already. You can save him too, I'm sure of it."

"I hope so," Link said. It made him feel a little better. If he could believe in his feelings without doubt, then he was sure he could save Gale. But that doubt warned him that this could be worse than a life or death decision. Whatever he decided, the lands and peoples of all Hyrule would be affected. "Though I wish I wasn't so important."

"What was that?" Zelda asked.

"It's a lot of pressure," he said, making himself speak up. "I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, and I can understand you better knowing all that," she said. She might think that, but Link doubted it. "Let's focus on what we can do now and see about getting to Sudai's castle."

"Yes, we'll do that." Once they were finished with breakfast, they checked out of the inn and headed out on the day's trek.

The trail into Sudai moved ever downward, at a lesser slope than the Zora river road. At points, they could hear a noisy rush of water in the distance. When the road came out of the mountains, they found that they were about a mile from the river from Lake Hylia. It was swelled with rains from the storm, spilling out into the floodplains. An earthen wall had been built up to protect the road, but water lines showed that sometimes this road got flooded out. That was no threat to Balrog, though.

"Where's their castle?" Link asked as Balrog kept along the road.

"It should be in the hills to the north, further down this road," Zelda said. "There's an obelisk at the turn that leads there, we shouldn't be able to miss it." Not long after saying that, she tugged at his sleeve and pointed up in the sky ahead. "Look, see that golden falcon?"

Link nodded; it was a bright spot in the blue sky. The large falcon wasn't flying that high and was easily seen.

"That's the great falcon spirit that obeys the wearer of the Falcon Ring. It could lead us directly to Joachim. If it's noticed us, I'm sure it would go to inform him."

"We'll follow the bird then," Link said, signaling Balrog to slow down as he was quickly catching up the falcon. The bird spirit flew along the road for a while, but then veered off to the south, not the north. When it started circling down to descend, the obelisk Zelda had mentioned was in sight.

As was a large group working along the earthen dam. Part of the road was washed out and muddy due to a break in the dam. Although he was supposed to be the king, Joachim was down there with the group helping out. He held out his arm to let the falcon land. While he didn't seem strong enough to carry a large bird of prey like that, he didn't have difficulty speaking with it there. The falcon took off again as Link brought Balrog across the washed out part of the road to reach a higher part before stopping to let Zelda get down.

Joachim came right over once the falcon was gone. "Zelda, you made it!"

"Joachim, I'm so glad to see you!" she called over, waving. She dropped off as soon as Link brought Balrog to a halt, going to hug him tightly.

Link dismounted as well, but kept Balrog summoned and stayed by him, figuring he'd give those two a moment to enjoy their reunion. "You are an incredible spirit," Link said quietly to the horse, patting its neck. Balrog didn't even twitch his ears or turn to him. "Don't seem to have any emotions though. You're good for fast trips, but I'd prefer a partner horse like Epona."

Since they were out in a muddy field, the pair kept their moment together short for now. "Link, I don't know if I can thank you enough for getting Zelda out here safely," Joachim said, smiling at him like a new friend and offering a handshake. "Well done."

He took the handshake and nodded. "You've got to keep her safe now."

"We've got some of Velken's bodyguards here, we'll do all we can," he said. "Could you come back to the castle at least? We can get you a good lunch and discuss our plans for how to deal with Ganon."

Link was about to give a polite acceptance to that when Zelda frowned and added, "He's gone much too far; we'll all be better off without him."

His throat tensed; he was strongly tempted to just nod and pretend to go along with it. It was clear that he was going to get no help from Zelda in his plans to save Gale. If he could convince her that it could work… but would she even listen to the possibility that there might be some good in him? Someone worthy of saving. "There is a lot to do," he said, but even he could tell his words were stiff and unnatural.

Fortunately, they ignored it politely. The dam repair were going fine, so Joachim got his carriage driver to take them back to castle. Zelda gave him more specifics on finding the thief's hideout in Trickster's Grotto. Surprisingly, he had seen the tablet that would open the hidden path before; it was a short distance from the center opening. It had just never seemed important, like an outdated trail marker.

"There's also the matter of the Septdraco dragons to deal with," Zelda said.

"I'd rather deal with them before Ganon," Link said.

Thankfully, she nodded in agreement. "Yes, that might work out. I was thinking about what you said last night. While you can take him on fairly once you have the Master Sword, he may be waiting on the reunion of the Triforce now. That means that he could keep quiet until he hears that Courage has manifested. It would match up with the events of past legends."

"We shouldn't rely entirely on that line of thinking," Joachim pointed out.

"I need more practice," Link said.

"That would be the prudent course if you feel that way," he said. "We have Leonidas stationed near Hyrule Castle. Did Velken leave with you or is he staying?"

"He left with us," Zelda said. "There was something he wanted to get done, but he told me he'd come here once he could."

Joachim nodded. "All right. I can show you both on a map where Leonidas' camp is once we get back in the castle."

"Then what about the seven dragons?" Link asked. It would be handy to know where the general's camp was, but he wanted to get that information from Zelda soon. After all, he might not get another time to speak with her like this.

Thinking it over, she put her right hand over her left. There was a slight golden shine there. "I've seen them while the storm was raging, yes. They each bear a marking of the Septdraco on them now; it's a weak point designed to make them easier to recapture. Even if the seal mark is a weak point, you must prove the strength of your will to keep control over them. Dragons do not submit easily.

"I've not been able to properly locate all of them. The Prism Dragon, Thorn Dragon, and Sulfur Dragon seem to be roaming, so they may be up to chance to find. The Rotting Dragon is here in Sudai's marshes and Twin Fang is far south in Laverre's bay. Those two are most dangerous in those areas, although if Rotting heads upriver to Zora territory, it could put anyone around those waters at risk.

"However, the Clockwork Dragon and the Great Wyrm are tied as the most dangerous overall. All the rest are dangerous as beings of great magic, strength, and resilience, of course. Those two are extraordinary for dragons, being godlike in their capacities. For instance, the Clockwork Dragon has been theorized of being capable of razing the entirety of Hyrule Castle and the castle town in a matter of minutes if it utilizes its full capacity. It's a force of pure destruction. Thankfully, it's not seen fit to let loose like that yet. It's roaming the skies of central Hyrule and resting in Gerudo Desert; we were lucky not to see it yesterday.

"The Great Wyrm is a slow mover and it may not even have a method of direct attack. But it is the largest of the seven, able to create earthquakes at will once it digs itself fully underground. From my visions, I can tell Ganon gave them orders before he lost control over them. It may be a side-effect of the summoning process, but each of the dragons, including those wandering about, has been compelled to go to the locations he specified for them even if they did not submit to his will. The Great Wyrm is still making its way into the snowy lands past the northern mountain range."

"I've heard of that one," Joachim said. "Once it gets underground, it would be capable of tearing the earth apart across the whole continent. You'd want to get the Great Wyrm taken care of before it has that capability."

Link nodded, a plan for this forming in his mind. He'd take their invitation to a late lunch at the castle; there were some things he was curious to look into here too. This evening, he'd warp back to Taven in order to find the Master Sword. Then he could head north to get the Great Wyrm, maybe the Clockwork if he came across it. For the rest, he could decided on the order to take them on later. The trek down to Laverre would be a long one too.

And once he had the Master Sword, hopefully he could disprove his shadow's opinion of him.

* * *

Thankfully, Ganon had not attempted the same stunt to take Zelda away. With the resources at the Sudai castle, she was able to come up with a means to make it harder for someone to teleport near her. That should give plenty of time and warning to her new guards that something was wrong. And she was back with Joachim, so things seemed brighter.

When they were on their own after lunch, she told Joachim about what Ganon's plans for her were. "I don't know if he's right, that times like this will keep cropping up as long as someone of my bloodline is around," she said, leaning on the carved railing to look over the southern landscape. The flooded areas shimmered under the afternoon sun; she'd heard that this place was an amazing sight when the marsh plants were in bloom.

"They do keep calling such stories Legend of Zelda, even if the princess is out of the picture most of the time," he said.

She nodded. "Right. But they're more than just one person. The Triforce alone is capable of triggering times of strife. As a keystone of our world with the capability to grant the wish of any who touch it, people will fight over it. That's why it often hides away, either in the Sacred Realm or within three separate people." She rubbed the back of her left hand, causing it to sparkle. "The pieces hold great powers as well, often imbalanced."

"But he's still got it in his head that he can stop it from going if he kills you before you have a child," Joachim said. Then he smiled thoughtfully. "Except I don't think this is a good time for that, so I'll abstain from problematic actions for the time being."

Zelda laughed, glad to have a reason to even as she rapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Oh come on, I know what you're really thinking." He grinned, then chuckled himself. "Though I'd prefer that a child not be born in a time of darkness like this. You never know what could happen, especially with someone that has dangerous ideas like Ganon around. But, someday in the future, that shouldn't be a problem."

"Right, someday," he said. Then he took her arm. "Actually, if he seems dissatisfied with these legends, and of course he would be when villains always die at the end, might he decide to spare you should you step out of the normal course? Like marry me and become queen instead of staying a princess?"

"It's what we want," she said, pulling him closer. "I don't want to be apart from you, so let's go ahead with it."

"It's a long shot, but I hope it works," he said, then hugged her tight.

Zelda smiled and put her head on his shoulder. "Right, me too." And it reminded her of something else happy. "Actually, I found out something nice before Link left. He's got a man that he loves, so you don't have to worry about him."

"Well that's good," he said, amused at it. "I'm glad, he seems like a good person. Did he say anything about him?"

"Not much, just that his name was Gale. Link is worried about him being in trouble. I'd like to help him with that, but I'm having a hard time focusing my vision on him." It was a strange thing, perhaps because she was still getting the hang of this ability.

"Of course..." then he pulled away from her, looking thoughtful and worried. "Wait, Gale, I've come across that name recently. Gale Fellclaw?"

"I don't know, he only gave the one name," Zelda said, partly closing her eyes. The Triforce of Wisdom acknowledged her silent question, thankfully. "That seems to be right."

"It's someone I've been trying to track down because he doesn't seem to exist," Joachim explained. "He's supposedly a member of nobility in this province, but no noble I've spoken to recognizes the name. He owns several businesses and valuable properties throughout Sudai, but no one has met him. A few said they did, but they can't remember details about him."

"Like a con artist?" Zelda said, now worried as well.

He put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. "There is an importance to the name Fellclaw: it's the name of a small clan of Gerudo women who wander around Sudai and a few other lands. It's also the maiden name of the last queen of Sudai, Ganon's mother. I suspect that it's some hidden scheme of his here."

"That means.." some of the images she'd seen previously became clearer to her. He had red hair, dark skin, and the right facial structures to be Gerudo. Only one Gerudo male could be alive at a time; the spirits that watched over them ensured that. And there was something new, of Link chained to the wall with his heart in painful turmoil while Ganon kept tormenting him with perverse glee. "He's in love with Ganon. And he knows it."

"That's not right, they should hate each other," Joachim said.

That reminded Zelda of what she'd seen herself. Link had gone to bed early last night, after being tensely withdrawn with all the attention they got in the Kakariko inn. According to the people there, he had been talking just fine with them and the Gorons, especially with a handsome stranger that he'd been with on a previous visit. Yet just today, he seemed happy when she showed concern for his love.

"Link had said that Gale might be in trouble, but I think he's the one in serious trouble," Zelda said. She rubbed at her eyes so she didn't end up in tears. "This is bad, we have to do something. But Ganon's going to have him tricked, maybe even delusional. Link's supposed to get the Master Sword, but what's he going to do with it?"

"We may have to consider back-up plans," he said, clasping her hand. "Link seemed like a good person to me, but given what others think about him, there's a lot at stake in whatever he does. Ganon could ruin everyone if he manipulates Link into being his ally."

"You're right, but I hope it doesn't come to needing such plans." Because things would have to get even worse than they already were for a power like the Triforce to decide that it needed a new bearer for one of its parts.


	15. Remnants of a Child King

**Chapter 15: Remnants of a Child King**

There was something different about Sudai Castle. A warm breeze blew through the halls, bringing in scents of mud, grass, and people. While that was a strong difference from Hyrule Castle, it took Link a walk through several of the halls to realize what was really different. The spaces could be just as grand, but it wasn't as luxurious. Rugs were fewer in number and there weren't protected treasures around for decoration. In this arched hall that was open to second floor balconies overhead, thee were only two tapestries, simple lamps, and a single large painting on the walls.

It was a barren feeling, like this place had once seen greatness that was now gone. It was only emphasized by how there were few people in the area he had wandered into. While the lunch had been good, he'd gotten uncomfortable again and left when others didn't notice. He really should work on that. But, not when the topic of discussion was about how to work against Ganon. That was too much right now.

In front of the lone painting, Link wondered how long it would stay up here. It was of the king and queen who had died years ago, Gale's parents. Gale too, as a very young prince in his mother's lap, hanging onto his father's hand for support. The king looked happy and proud; a black piano was just behind him and his poise had an elegant grace to it. On the other hand, the queen had a sheathed sword sitting on the floor by her feet. She was gentle with her child on her lap, but looked like she could defend her family at a moment's notice. Young Gale had a bright smile for his parents.

It was disappointing that a family like this was ruined to set up the current situation. They weren't the only family like that, though. While the storytellers he'd heard didn't focus on such matters, the families in a lot of these legends must have suffered through a lot of unnecessary hardship. Had his parents had any clue that this could happen or did it catch them by surprise too?

And what of Gale himself? A victim, a true villain of the situation… he knew so much that he could ruin Link without violence if he wanted. But Link knew things about Gale that no one else would want to accept out of Ganon. That is, if those weren't lies too. Not trusting him would be safer but would hurt him deeply if it was truth. Trusting him could make them both happy, unless it was all lies and Link ended up ruining all of Hyrule as the shadow said. But he wasn't sure if he could trust that shadow either.

As he rubbed his head trying to figure out some way to know, an old woman spoke up behind him. "My, aren't you the hero from Hyrule everyone's been talking about? What would you be doing here all by yourself?"

He looked over and saw that she carried a broom and wore a long gray dress. There was a cart near one of the doors now with rags, a mop, a bucket, and other cleaning supplies. Seeing that, he had a hunch that she might know something useful. "Sorry, I hope I'm not in the way. I'm just trying to figure something out."

"It ain't no trouble, I've worked around all kinds of folks," she said. "Mostly trying to keep out of their hair."

"Have you worked here a long time?" Link asked. "There's something that's bothered me, about your last king. I always thought something was off about the story they kept telling about the previous war between Hyrule and Sudai, then I heard that the people here loved him greatly for doing the best he could under bad circumstances. It doesn't fit with who he is now."

The maid listened, seemingly curious about what he had to say. "You think so? Well yes, I have worked here since I was about your age, maybe younger. And he was a caring person, although I do think he might've been the unluckiest boy there was. Actually, I don't really like calling him by the name he has now, it doesn't feel right. His old name just keeps slipping through like so many other things."

"It was Gale."

She brightened at that. "Oh yes, that sounds right." Smiling, she set the broom against the wall for the moment. "Hmm, funny you should be the one to know that. Though lots of funny things have been happening. Like how Gale said he was going to invade Hyrule to free us, but then we end up getting a new king from Hyrule, and he's so close to Princess Zelda that I only saw them together over lunch and I'm sure it won't be long until they get hitched. And you all are going to be trying to be taking back Hyrule, so in the end, things aren't going to change much. Though that is just how things are for folks who aren't much important in the grand scheme of the world."

"It's unfortunate that things don't change all that much overall," he said. Images came through his mind, of other ordinary people doing what they could to get by in the world.

"But you know, Gale sent me and the other castle staff a note a while ago," the maid said. "He said to take care of Joachim when he came. At the time, we didn't know what it meant. Then the guy shows up with the Falcon Ring and was able to gain the approval of the great falcon."

"Then he knew they'd taken the ring from him," Link said. And wanted the transferal of power to go smoothly when the fact that Joachim was a Hylian would make people suspicious. He was doing a lot of terrible things, but something in him cared enough to fix a problem before it started.

The maid nodded. "Right! Actually, we haven't mentioned it to Joachim yet, even though he's been good to us so far. I probably shouldn't mention it to you, but then, I've met a lot of folks in my years and I trust my instincts on you. You don't seem like someone who could deceive another easily."

He relaxed some on hearing that. "Thanks. It's just, I, I've spoken with Gale and if there is still good in him, I'd rather give him a chance at redemption if possible. But if not, I could end up in a lot of trouble. That's why I'm trying to figure him out, to find some chance for him to prove himself."

"If you could bring Gale's old self back, a lot of people here would be mighty grateful," she said. "It's been a slow change over a few years, though it really turned dark when he started planning out the Hyrule invasion. Some folks have been saying it's just the past year, but they only saw the strong face he put on out in public. He used to be an optimistic boy dreaming of a better future. But around about his sixteenth birthday, he started showing occasional fits of violent anger and more common bouts of depression."

"Did he hurt anybody back then?"

"Not on purpose and he'd apologize once he calmed down. I believed him in that he didn't want to hurt anybody. In fact, he started telling us to avoid him, saying that he didn't want to be disrupted but meaning that he didn't want us to be hurt if he lashed out again. About the only person who would visit him regularly in off-hours the past few years was Velken. But he's not much of a people person, whereas Gale is, and would be if he wasn't restraining himself."

"Did he have any other friends?" They could be useful to talk to as well.

Unfortunately, she shook her head. "Not really. Such a shame, and why I call him so unlucky. See, he tried having friends as a boy and sometimes even left the castle doing so. But the Hylian king kept a tight grip on him with the guard that supposedly was to keep order over here. That king would give ours tasks and restrictions that kept him away from any potential friends aside from those of us who worked under him. And even here, a few servants who weren't discreet enough got fired for being too friendly with royalty, so it was claimed. If you really want to give him a chance at being good again, just being his friend might be enough to start."

"It's rough, but I'm trying," Link said. "Actually, about this painting, did one of his parents play the piano? A song that's familiar to him could help."

"Could be," she agreed, looking at the painting too. "And yup, his father was actually pretty good at playing. He didn't practice as much as he could cause of the responsibilities of a ruler. Even so, he tried to play whenever he had a chance, at this piano in their family room. He had a favorite song he liked to play, it was," she scratched her neck, thinking. "What was it now? It went with that book young Gale liked, the one about the dream island."

That was familiar to Link, partly because of a tale of a dream island that was popular with the orphanage kids. "Koholint? Then you mean the Ballad of the Wind Fish?"

"Yes, that's the one. Wouldn't know how to play it myself, but I remember the tune."

"I should know it," he said, taking out his pan flute. After a moment's thought, the melody came from his dream memory. There were a lot of things the song made him think of, include a cheerful dreamer of a red-haired girl.

"That's the one," she said, smiling fondly. "That tune takes me back. You play very well."

"I hope it can help," he said, thinking through the notes again to keep it in mind. "Do you mind if I had a look around that room?"

"You I don't mind," she said. "Actually, don't be saying this to the others, but me and a few others were talking about shuffling some things like this painting away for safe-keeping now that Zelda's here. People say she's wise and all, but she seems too easily worked up about Ganon. We just want to keep a few things precious to Gale and his parents safe, in honor of their memories. So if you see some little thing you can keep safe too, go ahead and slip it away from their notice."

"Sure, thank you." Maybe there would be something that could be a good reminder to Gale in there.

"I hope you can help him out," the maid said, then told him where to find the room.

Link left her to her quiet task of taking the family portrait down. In the old family room, things were different. It was better furnished than the rest of the castle that he'd seen; everything in here must have had some meaning to remain in place. Along with the piano, there was a china hutch with an assortment of figurines and jewelry on display. A comfortable looking couch and some chairs were around a large fireplace while bookshelves made a mini-library in one corner. An unfamiliar board game was set up mid-play on a table. A note in a childish looking script asked for the game to be left alone.

There was a lot in here that painted an even lonelier picture. Leaving Gale alone could really crush him; Link felt bad for considering it. But what here could help out? There were some music books in the piano bench, but he didn't know how to read music. The pieces in the china hutch would be small enough to sneak out even without his depth bag, but he didn't know the meaning of them. Even here, he couldn't recall anything in particular that Gale had mentioned in the letters.

While scanning over the bookshelves, he noticed something: there were no children's books. For a family room, that seemed strange. Gale might have moved any out as he grew up. Maybe some more personal things would be in his old bedroom. Though, did he dare go in there? It made Link nervous and curious at the same time. But as nothing much stood out to him here, he decided to go looking. It would probably be near here.

There was a small sign on the wall indicating that the room of the previous king and queen were through a door from the family room. Back in the hall outside, he found another sign indicating where Gale's room was (although it had the name Ganon crammed onto it awkwardly). It was right across from the family room. Seeing no one else in the hall, Link checked the door. It turned out to be locked. But, he did have that magic key.

Inside, the room was unsettling and stark. He'd caught a glimpse of a nice bed in the other bedroom, but the one in here was simple and plain, much like his own back at the orphanage. Gale's bed had a cracked post, and a desk nearby bore a black scorch like an errant fireball had hit it. Since it had been locked, this room had some dust settling in. The bookshelf was in decent shape, with a collection of hefty tomes and political treatises.

And one small pastel yellow binding stuck out among the serious muted covers. Link pulled that out to find a familiar storybook. He remembered reading it himself, as well as hearing some of the older kids read to the younger set. Unconnected to traditional legends, it told the story of an unnamed child who had an adventure in the dreams of the Wind Fish, on the mythic island of Koholint. It made him smile because several other kids liked making up stories to go with it because none of them were satisfied with the ending. The child said they had to go back to the real world even though the dream world was more fun. While he'd never been able to speak up about it, he agreed with the others about wanting the child to stay.

To his surprise, he found that the disliked ending had been crossed out in this particular book. It was accompanied by a few small pieces of paper. The top one had a simple enough ending that Link was all too familiar with:

 _'I don't want to leave this place, Wren.'_

 _'But what about your family? Won't they miss you?'_

 _'I don't have a family any more. Nobody would miss me there.'_

 _'But if you stay here, you got to turn into a seagull when the Wind Fish wakes up. Everybody does.'_

 _'It's okay, that sounds fun too.' And he lived happily ever after with his best friend Wren on the wonderful island of Koholint._

That was much like a preferred ending of the kids he'd known. But why cross out 'the end' there? He'd kept this ending; maybe it continued on the others. Link carefully flipped it over to see the rest. While the handwriting was similar, it looked more refined.

 _While things seemed well, their adventures got more dangerous. The nightmares grew to be more than shadows and ruined the peaceful days on the island. They searched around for a solution to the problem. Wren noticed that her friend was changing, more withdrawn. But she thought it was part of the growing up that people who weren't dreams did._

 _One stormy day while they took shelter in an old house, he finally told her what he'd been hiding. "I ran away from the world because the blood of a demon flows in my heart. I thought I escaped it here, but the nightmares must be drawn to my power. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."_

 _"I believe you," Wren said. "But what do we do now? Everybody's scared."_

 _"There's nothing to be done," he said. "I've been tainted by Demise and eventually I won't be me anymore. There was never an escape for me. The only thing to do is to kill me before things get even worse."_

 _She got upset and started crying. "Is that true? I love you; I don't want you to die."_

 _"The fact that you still love me is a blessing," he said. "But yes, there's no other way. If you and everyone else here can be happy again on your peaceful home, it's fine with me."_

 _Wren didn't like it, but wanting everyone else to be happy, she agreed and helped him to die. Before long, the nightmares scattered, weakened without him there to empower them. Wren never forgot about him. And then one evening, she didn't turn back into a dream and remained a seagull ever after, crying out a sad tone in his memory. The End._

That was an even worse ending than the original of leaving Koholint behind forever. But there was a part to it that gave Link chills. The blood of a demon, tainted by Demise… was that what was going on now? That went way back, to one of the oldest version of the legend (if not the oldest). While Gale being a descendant of Ganon had some uncertainty, it was certain that both were descendants of Demise spiritually. Just like he was a spiritual descendant of the hero of that legend, if the dreams he had were any proof. It could make sense of why Gale had outbursts of anger like the maid talked about.

While it didn't make what he should do any clearer, Link decided to keep hold of the book. It was no journal like the one he'd handed over to Zelda. The writing was still personal enough that he didn't want others to find it. Should he try to convince Gale that his second ending was no better than the original? There should be some other way.

There might not be much else in the bedroom, but Link went ahead and locked the door again when he left.

* * *

Link had slipped out quietly again. This time, Zelda was concerned about it. She needed to talk with him before he left, to stop him before he got more hurt. Looking back on this morning, she could see better what he'd been trying to say and to not say. He was certainly going to be in a mess of conflicted feelings with all that was going on. But he had to remain against Ganon or things would get worse.

She located him outside of the castle walls, speaking with a Gerudo woman who was watching over the horses kept for the castle guard. Unlike other times she'd seen him, Link was having no trouble talking with her. "The stallions of this breed are more aggressive, so it's impressive you've got him this well trained."

"He's still picky about who gets to ride him," the Gerudo woman said, starting to brush the mane of a large black horse. "Got a lot of pride, so you have to show confidence to even get this close to him. You must be quite a horseman yourself to get him to come to you."

"I took care of him one evening," he said. While he'd said that this kind of horse was aggressive, he got him to consent to being pet. Link didn't even seem to notice her approaching as he was more interested in the horse.

The woman noticed her, though. "Oh, hey there princess. Keep careful, you don't want to get close to some of these horses."

"What are you doing out here?" Link asked, staying near the black horse.

"I'll be mindful of them," Zelda said to the horse's caretaker. "Link, I wanted to talk with you again, if you don't mind."

"All right," he said. He patted the horse one last time, then walked over to leave the caretaker tending to the horse.

Not wanting them to be overheard, Zelda walked over towards a pine tree further out of the way. One of the castle knights was in sight, but she'd asked him to keep some distance so they had some privacy. "Will you be staying around here? They have good swordsmen here who could help you get back in shape."

"No, I want to get back to Taven today," he said.

"Do you have the means to do so?" While his new horse was well beyond others, she didn't think even that spirit could cross the distance by the end of today.

"I know a magic song to go anywhere I remember," Link said. He was tense again, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"Well don't push yourself too hard even with that," she said, watching him. She didn't want him to already be defensive when bringing this up. "Have you been out here helping her with the horses?"

He shrugged; it was clear that he didn't want to be here. Perhaps he had an idea of what she really wanted to talk about. "Maybe, just curious, mostly."

"You could stick around to do that until you're up to traveling again," she suggested. He shook his head. Well, this was going nowhere with opening him up. "Link… to be blunt, we've found out something troubling. The man you think of as Gale is actually Ganon."

He stopped where he was, not as out of the way as she had wanted. "What about it?" he said cautiously.

"He must be fooling you for some selfish purpose," she said. "I'm really worried about you in this as nothing good can come of that."

While Link tried to look at her, he couldn't do so for long. "But if there's a chance..." he bit his lip.

Was he really letting himself be fooled? He was supposed to be the one being called to be a hero, not a fool! Still, she had to keep cool in dealing with him; they should be working together to save Hyrule. "He's destroyed so many people with his plans, even his own people here. He unleashed those dragons and let all his monsters overwhelm everyone. What chance would a person like that have of being good? There's no excuse for it."

Link had his eyes closed now, still resistant. Was he listening?

She might need to call him out on foolishness. "You know about him, don't you? He's already betrayed you in what you've trusted him with, yet he's still fooling you into doing what he wants. He doesn't care about you one bit, I'm sure; you're going to end up much worse off if you keep listening to him. There's no saving a person like that. Why would you love him? He's a violent man and an evil king. You, you'll put yourself in danger just trying to talk with him like a normal person. And you're supposed to be a hero, you're supposed to hate him."

Even confronted with all that, he was silent.

Zelda trembled; she wasn't used to being so angry, especially at someone who should be an ally, a friend, or someone more. "Someone like that isn't going to be able to love someone else, only themselves."

"What do you know about that?!" Link snapped, finally looking at her with fury. "You clearly don't like your role in all this, but what about us? He's fated to die hated by everyone and you're fated to stay a princess admired by everyone. And I'm going to go through hell and still not get what I want if things go as they should. Don't force me into your views of what I should be doing if you don't like what you were forced into. If there's a chance that things can be different," he looked deeply pained and his voice got choked up, "I want things to be different."

This wasn't right; she actually felt scared of him. "You shouldn't be irrational," she said, her thoughts too frozen up to come up with anything else on the spot.

There was a tiny click and the phantom horse appeared there. "Neither should you," Link said, putting a foot in the stirrup. Moments later, he was gone.

The knight who'd been keeping an eye on them came over. "My lady?" he said in concern.

What was going on? This was all wrong, wrong enough to make her feel sick. "I-I need to speak with Joachim," she said, not sure what to do now. But something had to be done; they'd lost their hero.

* * *

The sea… Link pulled back on Balrog's reins and stopped him from continuing off the cliff. He'd reached the eastern boundary of this continent. While he wasn't sure where exactly he was, he didn't care where as long as he was away. He hate arguing with people; it always made him feel bad. Now that his anger had burned off in the ride, this one was making him feel worse. The whole thing was his fault and now Zelda wouldn't trust him. It would have been better if he'd just left as soon as he got out of lunch.

Zelda wouldn't give Gale a chance. Although, Link now had another thing to make this all more confusing. Gale had the respect of that black stallion, but he wasn't the one to train or care for it. Which made one of Link's original ideas about trusting him faulty even though he understood better why things had come to this. What feelings should he trust on this?

Whichever he chose, he wasn't getting any help from Zelda now. She could make life a lot harder for him too, as she had the authority and power to declare him a traitor. And the whole land would be hearing of that. But even with that obstacle, it was still his responsibility to take out the dragons and… do something about Gale and Ganon, possibly Demise too. He had Light Arrows and knew where the Master Sword was, so he was in a better position to do all that.

But did he want to? Looking out at the sea below him, he knew that there were other lands out there. Did he really have to be the hero? Sure, he'd gotten the medals that supposedly tested a person's qualifications as a hero. But did they really? They'd only given him flashbacks to previous heroes. He'd messed up badly too, getting captured for over a month and trusting the villain. Remembering some of that was a nightmare.

At the same time, remembering other parts filled him with a longing to go along with Gale and not care about anyone else. Link could take him out to see other lands. Let everyone else sort things out here; let them handle their own responsibility instead of relying on legends to absolve and save them. If he got him entirely away from the Triforce and the demon who coveted it, maybe he could turn Gale's luck around and help him be a better person.

What about the children, though? If he took off, he'd be leaving the kids at the orphanage behind. He'd told them that he'd make things better for them; they had believed that he could be a hero before anyone else. Link didn't know what to do about Gale, or Zelda for that matter. But he was certain he'd feel guilty for abandoning the kids. For them, he could take on the responsibility of a hero. He would take out the dragons at least, and figure out what to do about his other problems along the way.

He could write Zelda and try to better explain his position. Getting such a letter to her could be a problem, but he'd figure out something. For now, he glanced around at the land around him. He'd come out here blindly, but if there was a town… there, to the south, he spotted the piers of a small port town. Link wanted to get to Taven first to get the Master Sword. But knowing the location and name of another town in Sudai would give him somewhere to warp to other than the castle. He would have to return here to deal with the Rotting Dragon at some point.

She couldn't have spread word of him this quickly, so Link got Balrog to town to figure out which place this was. He had really handled that badly; his face got warm in shame. At the time, he had a hard time thinking about what he was saying. Her words stung so much, reminding him of the torment, sympathy, and passion all trying to overtake his heart. And to hear for certain that she saw no redeeming qualities to Gale, it made Link briefly hate her. Sure, she had her reasons for thinking so; she might even be right, was right on some points. But accepting that she was fully right meant fully accepting Gale's betrayal. Accepting that his sorrowful talk back at the tower was still an act meant to manipulate him without love or care… he shuddered trying to grasp that. No, no there had to be some truth to that. Gale used to be a good person and some of that had to remain even if he was being influenced by Demise.

A scent like bad eggs snapped him out of his thoughts. Link glanced around the street, feeling that something was wrong. As it was early afternoon, he could understand people being busy with work. But there still should have been some people around, doing work outside or going around doing errands. There were a number of small boats in the docks too; unless they just didn't fish in the middle of the day, there shouldn't be that many. He couldn't even hear any seagulls, dogs, or other animals that should have been around.

"Where is everyone?" he murmured, dismounting his horse as this could take a more careful search. The doors to nearby houses were shut, painted with a protective symbol in blood. When he glanced through the windows, he saw no one. There was a small open-air market by the docks, empty even of goods. And that sulfuric smell remained strong. Sulfur… was it the Sulfur Dragon?

He finally heard a voice when he was looking over a signpost at a crossroads. According to the sign, it was from the direction of a temple. That made him feel wary as a lot of old temples became dungeons full of monsters. As he approached it, though, it didn't seem like one of those temples. It was well kept and still active for worship, as an aquatic goddess had small offerings left at her statue outside. The building was large enough to serve as a community gathering place. From the multiple worried voices he was hearing now, that was what was going on to leave everywhere else empty.

The front doors had been left open, so Link walked right in. His entrance got immediate attention as people in the back heard his footsteps and a group up front saw him. Since he had his sword at his side and his quiver and his shield on his back, they might find him intimidating. None of them looked well, with pale faces and sluggish motions. "Excuse me, but are you being bothered by a dragon?" he asked.

"Yes, how did you know that?" one of the men up front asked.

"I've been looking to recapture them," Link said. "It's the Sulfur Dragon, right?"

"That does fit what we've seen," he said. Around the room, many looked hopeful. A few skeptical, but only a few. "It's stolen the life out of this town and has threatened to end all of us unless we sacrifice someone to it. We were trying to decide what to do here."

"Where is it?" This was something easier to figure out, likely easier to do as well.

There was a slight hesitation. But in their weakened state, they didn't have another option to avoid a sacrifice. "We were told to call it back to the town square northeast of here by ringing the temple bells. But what would you want out of us for taking care of it, stranger?"

"Nothing, just call it here," he said. Once a pair went over to the bell tower, he left to head towards the town square. It was simple enough to find once he walked past the temple, an open area that should give him some space for this battle. Link got out his bow and reminded himself of what Zelda had told him. He was looking for some seal marking that would be a weak point… and the light enchantment was his best shot at doing this…

After ten tolls, a massive dark yellow dragon swept down from the skies, looking to land in the square. Amber-toned smoke spilled out of its curling horns and broad wings, increasing the burning stench that filled the town. Its mouth was curled into a snarl; it flexed its muscular legs, ready to clobber him. And right on its belly, there was a chalky marking that stood out for being white and geometrical: seven circles clustered into a tight ring.

The only thing that would be more obvious as a target would be an out-of-place eye. The dragon was even keeping its position in the air, trying to threaten him. Keeping focused, Link fired an arrow at the center of the white marking. What followed was a sizzling explosion and a startled roar of pain as the dragon shattered into magical fragments. They surrounded Link with sulfur yellow light, made him cough from the heavy odor. Below his feet, the seven ringed seal appeared with a red glow.

On his right hand, his glove grew warm. It changed from a brown leather glove into black, with a silver decoration like the seal. Was that the Septdraco itself? Reflections of a strange blue light came off it, causing him to look around. This was not the same plaza in a port town; this was an entirely different realm.

"How did I get here?" he wondered, his quiet voice breaking the uncanny silence here.


	16. Realm of Sin I

**Chapter 16: Realm of Sin I**

There were some thoughts trying to make the right connections in Link's mind. On the ground, there was a glowing emblem of the Septdraco rings with arcane text. It should be a safe area with some kind of danger outside it. Whatever danger it would be, it might not be something he could defeat. It might be a testing grounds, but what for? Or it could have something to do with the way these dragons were sealed. Close to him, there was a shallow dish with ashes inside.

Hearing wings behind him, Link turned and found the Sulfur Dragon reforming itself. "You are not the one who summoned us," it said in a raspy voice.

"I'm not," he replied, not sure what else to say. He was also trying not to offend it with a poor reaction to its rank breath.

"Are you attempting to conquer us?" Now that it was close, he could see that it had red bloodshot eyes. It made it seem less intimidating, like it wouldn't be as strong as it could be.

"I'm going to stop you seven from wreaking havoc everywhere," Link said.

Sulfur dipped its head a little and growled softly. "We do as we were designed to do. Hmph, your soul bears a strong light… but how steady is it? I think I can conquer you, yes. Fine, you're here, so you will take the challenge." It lifted a foot and pointed out the bowl of ashes. "If you can bring a soul fire back to this torch, you have defeated me. The soul fire is out in this testing realm somewhere. And once you step outside of this emblem, you will be at the mercy of my power. Should your will break or you spend too long outside the emblem's protection, I will conquer you. That's how things are here, and with the other six. But I think your quest will end here." The dragon then vanished.

While the task didn't sound hard, Link knew there had to be something the dragon wasn't telling him. Why else would it be so confident? He wasn't sure how to leave this place without completing the challenge either. At least he had his gear still with him. Nothing stood out from here at the emblem, so the soul fire might be outside the town square. Link headed out, bracing himself for something to react.

The empty square filled with people once he stepped off the emblem. Link tensed, not having expected this. After his vision flickered, it seemed more like an ordinary day with a yellow tinge. The clouds overhead were in a strange spiral and everyone was avoiding the emblem space. There was even the usual noise that should come from a gathering like this. The ordinary and oddity mixed into something uncanny.

He started to head for one of the side streets to look for the soul fire. However, the street back to the temple was blocked off with a watery force field. Someone else walked into it and vanished; another person came in from nothing. A quick look around showed that the other exits to the square were also blocked off. Then, it had to have shown up with all these people. One of them might know.

No one around was familiar to him. Were they even real? As he looked around, Link saw a woman walking towards him give a disapproving look. He stepped out of her way, but that didn't help. A man just past her was looking at him like he was weird. Feeling uncomfortable, Link walked around quietly for a minute. Coming into an empty town had been unnerving, but it was a problem he didn't mind looking into. This was a problem he didn't like dealing with. Since it was a test, he couldn't just leave. There was something he had to do here. Just, where was that soul flame?

"Are you looking for a soul flame?" someone called out like a street performer. He looked like one too, with an eye-catching white suit decorated with sparkling stars. "Maybe you don't think you are, but you could be missing out on something brilliant, something that could change your life right around! Maybe you need the passion to accomplish your wildest dreams. Maybe you need to rid yourself of insecurity and anxiety, or cover over a trait that would completely embarrass you if others knew. Well then you need the spirit cleansing power of the soul flame, the proof of conquering sin! This will take your weak and dull mind and shine it up into something brilliant to make everyone admire you! But you have to speak up soon or you will lose this chance forever."

It sounded like a bizarre sales pitch for some snake oil potion, but it was gathering attention to the performer. Link would normally keep to the edges of such displays. However, he'd been caught near the sales performer when he started. And the thing he had on display seemed right. It was a torch with a white flame burning quietly. Looking at it, Link was reminded of his thoughts that he needed to be less nervous about talking with people. It also made him think of Gale telling him that he liked his voice and wanted to keep talking with him. Was that a lie too or was it real?

This wasn't the time for those thoughts. "Does it really do that?" Link asked of the performer.

"Of course it does," the performer said, looking at him with a smug smile. "Just look at it and you can tell, right? Anyone could, it's clear that this is a treasure beyond worth."

Others in the crowd were looking at him now, even backing away to make him part of the center of activity. They might be illusions; they were part of this test. Whatever they were, he still felt nervous with all this attention. This had to be done to deal with the dragon, for some reason. "I don't know what this soul flame is," he admitted. "But it seems more like proof of something, not a thing that could change a person."

"But those who claim this soul flame are purified, I assure you," the performer said. "Perhaps it is a proof as well? The mysteries of the soul are vast and this is just another one of those mysteries. Did you need the soul flame?"

"And who do you think you are to try claiming it?" someone in the crowd called. Others murmured in suspicion; they muttered against him.

This felt like a nightmare now. "I need it to stop a dragon that's ruined a town."

"Searching for glory and fame then?" the performer said, smiling slyly like he was working up to some trick. "Of course, what better way to gain adoration and approval of the people then to save them from a threat they won't fight themselves?"

"That's not it," Link said. His throat was tensing up, but he couldn't stop here. He wasn't sure what the dragon meant by conquering him, but it couldn't be anything good. "That's not why I'm doing this."

"Then you want the rewards that come from defeating a dragon? Of course, of course, even if the dragon doesn't have a treasure hoard, lots of people are sure to pay you well for such a task." The performer nodded at his own explanation. "Well then..."

"That's not it either," he said. These people, phantoms or not, were still watching him suspiciously or jealously. But Link felt more certain of himself. It seemed like the dragon was the one questioning him. "The townspeople will have enough a burden recovering from this; I don't wish to burden them further with trying to repay me. Knowing that the dragon will no longer be out there ruining the lives of others will be enough for me."

The performer was still smiling, but he seemed nervous now. "That's quite a boast to be making, but surely you have some personal reason to be doing this. Don't be shy now; it's perfectly normal for people to do benevolent acts for reasons that are actually selfish. It's better to be honest. Aren't you doing this to make people see you as brave and fearless? They might overlook an oddity of a person afraid of ordinary socializing if they aren't afraid to face a powerful monster. That's the reason you do what you do, isn't it? It must be!"

"It's a weakness I need to work through, one I have been working on. But that's besides the point. The matter at hand is that you need to be stopped, Sulfur Dragon."

At that, the performer snarled and backed off. All the others vanished into smoke; they had been illusions. "C-come on, this is ridiculous! How are you supposed to be representative of courage if you get nervous or defensive just trying to talk to people?"

Link went to take the torch of the soul flame before responding. It had a calming effect on him, like earlier when he spoke with the Gerudo woman about horses. In this situation, he could be confident. "I don't know if I am and that still doesn't matter. Maybe I do need bravery for something others think nothing of, but I'm getting more confident in talking to others. And someday it will no longer be a problem to me." He then turned to head for the emblem space.

The air around him dimmed; the drone of unclear conversations surrounded him again. As did many eyes that watched him when he couldn't see them clearly. Link brought the torch in front of him, using the calming presence of the soul flame to put those illusions out of mind. They didn't matter; they weren't able to stop him from reaching the emblem and placing the soul flame where it belonged. As it caught hold there, he saw a glint of gold on the back of his hand. It was a golden marking of three triangle, one of which was solid while the other two were hollow.

"When did you chose me?" Link said quietly, making sure he was seeing things right. The marking faded for a moment, but then appeared again very clearly as the mark of the Triforce of Courage.

Did that mean he was locked into this role as the hero? Link tried to think of when it might have shown up. He thought there'd be some vision or special encounter that would call him the chosen of the goddesses, something like that. Not that it'd just show up quietly with no fanfare. In the dimness around him, the Sulfur Dragon growled warily.

Then things darkened dramatically, save for a ring of light around himself. In that darkness, Link saw the form of the Triforce of Courage in front of him. "I've been with you all along," a gentle voice came to him. "As you continued to act as a hero, our connection grew. You act without hesitation to save strangers, even when the danger is great. While you are not without fear, you are overcoming the quieter ones that can be more difficult to shake. You are one with great courage, thus I have become more apparent from within you."

While that was encouraging to hear, there were things to worry about as well. "I see. But can you keep subtle about it? If I don't keep you hidden, Ganon will find out and I will lose the chance to save Gale."

That was briefly a sound of wind even though the air around him was still. "Do you have the courage to defy expectations?" the voice asked, even quieter like it was being restrained.

"To defy the role defined for me by your own power?" Link asked.

"Please do." The Triforce then faded from his awareness. Although now that he knew it had been with him all along, he could feel its presence still within him.

He clenched a fist at his side. The courage to defy expectations… it was going to be a treacherous path; there would be the fog of doubts trying to deter him. But if he could make it work, then he'd get what he wanted. And there was something he wanted now. He was no longer doing all this simply because it seemed like the right thing to do. He was going to save someone that no one else saw as worth saving.

Then the Sulfur Dragon spoke up again, as if it was distressed by his very presence. "Oh gods, why did you have to come after me first? Did you think I'd be easier than the others, huh? I thought I had you for sure."

"I came upon you by chance," Link said. And the odd test with the crowd was not as bad since he knew it was a test of illusions. It might even be not so bad with real people since the Triforce had confidence in him resisting his quieter fears.

"Well, nothing I can do about it now," it said. "But first, do you mean to destroy the legends?"

"What do you mean by that?" It didn't sound like a good thing to do. Although, if he meant the destiny that was forcing him and Gale into this mess, that was what Link wanted.

Sulfur seemed to relax, dismissing the town square illusion and leaving them in a strange place with the soul flame. It looked like an abandoned temple, a sacred space forgotten by time. "I mean the order forced upon the world to keep it in a cycle of stagnation. You mortal races are allowed to live freely most of the time. But if you threaten to advance your civilizations past a point, a time of darkness will come and destroy all that you have done. It sets you back to a state of trying to survive in a harsh world. Even the golden ages mask how this land never changes."

"Then we are forced into these roles." But what about the voice that came to him on seeing the Triforce? It wanted him to be true to himself.

"It's a game where the particulars are inconsequential," Sulfur said. "Everyone gets shoved down when they think they've won." The dragon snorted. "Even we of the Septdraco have fallen for it. We had a purpose and it ended up bent in favor of the legends. When we found that there was no way we could have won, we decided to do whatever it took to mess up that force. And it seems we may have to cooperate with a hero, bah. So are you out to destroy the legends?"

"Yes," Link said.

One of the rings on the Septdraco shone yellow then. "Very well, then as the Sulfur Dagon, born of cowardice, I submit my will to you. You can call on my power to drain the life energy of your foes. But if you end up in a situation where your will fails to mine, I will destroy you and leave."

Since he was marked by the Triforce of Courage now, it'd be a severe failing to fall to fear even without the dragon's threat. The other dragons could be the same way; he'd need to be careful of that. "All right. Can you restore the life energy you stole from this town?"

"Must I?" Sulfur grumbled.

"Yes, give it back," Link ordered.

"Fine, fine, you don't have to be bossy about it," it said, then dissolved into a glowing yellow spirit. "Can't believe we really have to go with a selfless hero for this." They were pulled out of the testing realm back into the real town, where the dragon sent a blast of energy outward. The wind picked up, so even the rotten odor could be taken away.

To make sure, he went back to check on the people in the temple.

* * *

This whole week had been like something out of a story. First there was that obnoxious smell that worried the animals and drove the fish away. Then everyone in town fell ill on the same day, growing so weary that it was difficult to do daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, or going out to fish. A large yellow dragon showed up when they all gathered to figure things out, demanding a sacrifice of one of their own or everyone would die. As worn down as everyone was, it looked impossible to do anything against it. One of the older women offered to go to the dragon as she did not have much to lose. It prompted a debate between those that didn't want to lose her, those who thought an elderly sacrifice wouldn't be enough for a dragon, and those who thought it was unfortunate but practical.

And then, a hero stepped into the picture. He didn't have much to say, immediately offering to deal with the dragon without being asked. He seemed a little pale himself, but it was undeniable that he was in better shape than any of them. Since the situation was dire, they went ahead and rang the temple bell for him. A few youths followed after him quietly to see what would happen.

One came back a few minutes later with extraordinary news: the hero had struck down the dragon with just one blow, using an arrow that shone like lightning across the night sky. It was shameful that it took so little when they hadn't even tried. But then, as one of the elders reminded the rest, it must have been a divinely blessed weapon to be so powerful. The hero had vanished, which was worrisome.

Thankfully, he reappeared a short time later, now with an odd artifact on his right hand. And with a strange chill, the illness they had all fallen under vanished as soon as it came. The sulfuric air lifted and they all felt a powerful vitality that restored their spirits. When the hero came back into the temple with the other youths, they all cheered for him.

He was oddly bashful from all the attention and gave his name in a quiet voice. Link then asked them where he was. While Eblan Port was a small place, it was a little strange that he was all the way out here without knowing the town's name. He was going to leave right away, but it wasn't proper for them to let him do so without some show of gratitude. Link eventually agreed to stay for a community dinner and a free stay at the small inn.

Most people scattered to get enough food together for the impromptu celebration; a few of the fishermen even took their boats out in hopes of catching something in gratitude for the one who saved them. For a few others, though, Link had asked if there was any in town skilled with a sword that he could practice with. He had those holy arrows, but his sword was fairly unremarkable. Now that they were in good health, the few who acted as an informal town guard were glad to test their skills against a hero like him.

They didn't stand a chance. Link had quick reflexes and an eye for technique faults. While he thought he was out of shape from being imprisoned, his ability must not have dulled at all. He defeated all of them in short spars and thanked them graciously for it. For a long time after, a group of the guard challenged themselves daily with the hopes of being able to match Link someday.

At dinner, he was again quiet and mostly listened to talk about local stories. He did tell a story about a time he traversed a confusing forest dungeon when a group of kids wanted to hear something from him. Even though he was a strong fighter, he was gentle around the children and freely encouraged them to work hard towards any dreams they had.

That evening, a castle messenger arrived and asked about Link's whereabouts. They wanted to question him about a possible treason charge. The night guard who met with the messenger didn't tell him about Link being in their village. A hero like him could not be a traitor; others in the town agreed with that.

* * *

This had been a rough day. Link was glad it was over. Tomorrow, he'd have to go back for the Master Sword. He didn't want to kill Gale. But now that he'd argued with Zelda, she might try to send someone else after the sword, someone who didn't think he was worth saving. It was better that he'd get it not only because of the dragons, but because having it would give him time to figure out what had to be done.

The envelope showed up as he was checking through his room at the inn. It had a short note inside, saying that he was coming. Should he be looking forward to this? Or trying to get out of it? The people here would surely recognize him as their former king, which could lead to a lot of trouble. He wasn't going to get back the simple life he preferred.

When he heard a knock on the door, Link didn't hear any other fuss going on. He got the door and quietly said, "Gale, this could be reckless."

"Don't worry, I made sure no one saw me coming," he said, coming in quickly and pushing the door shut. A gold shine appeared on the door briefly. "And no one is going to hear us outside this room now."

From the caution and worry he was showing, it was most likely Gale in control now. Yet Link felt wary of this. He'd already set his gear aside, so no one would hear if things went bad either. "I see."

"Sorry, I know this must be hard on you," Gale said, coming closer and taking his shoulder. Trust him or not? It didn't seem obvious, except what he wanted to do regardless of rhyme or reason. "I shouldn't have come, should have kept to myself. But when I got some time to think clearly, I wanted to see you again so much. There's no one else who can see me as anyone but Ganon."

"Right," Link said. Defy expectations… this would be hard but there was no one else who would give him a chance. "Actually, I was at Sudai Castle earlier today. One of the maids said they were going to hide some of the things from you and your family to make sure they didn't get destroyed or lost. She told me I could take anything that I thought was interesting. Not everyone has forgotten who you were."

Gale looked relieved to hear that. "That's good, at least to keeping some of those things safe. Did you take anything?"

He nodded. "Only a book, though I was a little surprised it was the only children's book around."

"Wait, you found that?" he asked, embarrassed about it. "Well, at least it was you and not anybody else. Don't let anybody see that or know where it's from."

Link smiled; that was such a normal reaction, giving him confidence that Gale was being genuine here. His goal of trying to save him wasn't absurd. "Of course, I'll keep that a secret."

"But that was in my bedroom, I thought I'd locked that."

"You gave me a magic key," he reminded him.

"Oh right." he smiled some at that, still embarrassed about it being found but relieved at the same time. "So you're interested enough in me that you'd sneak into my bedroom."

"I was trying to find out more about who you are," Link said. "Though it was very sparse in there, not much of a personal space."

He shrugged. "It didn't feel right to live in luxury when my people were still rebuilding their homes. Besides, my mother would say that a harsher environment was better to keep sharp in. Living a soft life leads to laziness and irresponsibility."

"But the nearby parlor with the piano was a nice place."

"Well that, that was a place I couldn't let change. That was our family room. Even if it brought sorrow, I couldn't bear to change it from how it was." Then he put his arm around Link's back to pull him closer. "You should know that, but I don't want to dwell on the past tonight. I want to be here with you, with everything else out of sight and mind. Could you do that for me?"

He didn't even have to think about it; it was what he wanted. "Sure."

* * *

It had taken some time to calm Zelda down; Joachim hadn't seen her this frustrated and angry before, not even when her father had been obstinate. "So much has gone badly already, but this makes it feel like everything is going wrong," she said. "Sorry to bother you like this."

He hugged her tighter at that. "It's fine; you've been through a lot. But we can start working against Ganon now. Since I've gotten people here to accept me, we've got command over the Sudain and Hylian knights. I've also heard from other regions of Hyrule that they're willing to work with us to make the roads and towns safe at least. Even Laverre and the northern region are willing to listen to both of us."

"That's good," she said, leaning against him. "But we can't count on Link now. We have to find someone else to take the Master Sword, and fast because he knows where it is."

"He was able to claim the three medals to the shrine," Joachim said. It wasn't going to be easy to replace a hero.

Shaking her head, Zelda said, "They were relatively recent creations. We shouldn't have relied on them to pick out the most suitable person. As it is, Link is not going to be getting the Triforce of Courage. Not after what he said today; that was too selfish, and, and just blind! I don't think he could wield the Master Sword either, no matter how good his swordsmanship may be."

Selfishness didn't necessarily negate courage. Although, it would get in the way of being a true hero. "Perhaps one of the knights of Hyrule? There were a few who have been honest and loyal. Or even among the people here, like the generals. Although, Leonidas is quite old; I wouldn't want to put him in direct combat against Ganon."

"Me either. Velken's a good man, but his fighting style and tactics aren't suited to the role of a hero. But, maybe Kimbera could?"

"She's a good knight, but the hero's never been a woman before," Joachim said. "Otherwise, she does fit the role well."

Zelda sighed quietly. "If a man is unable or unwilling to fulfill the role, why not a woman? She's got the honor and aptitude we would expect out of the legendary hero. We could send her to get the Master Sword early tomorrow morning and see how it reacts to her. That just makes sense."

"You don't seem too convinced of that," he said. It did make sense to let Kimbera try handling the sword, even if it was unusual. Still, it seemed strange even to him; Link had also seemed like a hero before it came out that he was in love with Ganon knowingly. Joachim felt more sorry for Link, though, since it was clear that he was being manipulated and ruined.

"I'd like to be sure of it," she said. "Don't want to act rashly, and yet things will only get worse if we don't do anything. For some reason, I feel like I've lost something dear to me, something I thought I could have absolute certainty in. I barely knew Link and he barely knew me, but it all felt a lot more personal in that argument. I just don't know what to do."

Those two hadn't known each other, and Joachim thought he'd been sure of what he had. Yet he felt irked to hear her talk like that. Don't let it show, he told himself. He didn't need to make this harder on her. And he didn't want to take the chance of losing her for any reason; they'd just agreed to getting married soon, this shouldn't be over. "Isn't that like those feelings that you should just sit back and be quiet that you were complaining about?" he asked.

Zelda smiled bitterly at that. "Yes, that's exactly it. Even so, we should save Link from his predicament. He's not going to listen to me, probably not you either. But you now, I have a plan to call together six sages to seal Ganon away for good. One of those I've already contacted about it is someone who is close to Link already."

"Someone from his hometown?" That was for the best, since he'd be more likely to listen to someone he was familiar with.

"Right. We can't count on Link now, but I hope we can straighten him out. In the meantime, we should still send Kimbera to get the Master Sword to keep it safe until we can trust him with it."

Something wasn't quite right with this. However, Joachim couldn't explain it to himself. It was just a feeling, or maybe that bit of jealousy for her being like this about Link. Feelings like that could only hurt them in the end; he had to be supporting her now when she needed it most. "Of course, I'll get a message to her about it this evening. But after that, can we put all this business and political talk on hold?" He winked at her.

Zelda laughed about that. "Of course, I'd rather we do that."

* * *

He didn't have to do that. In past lives, he would have just taken what he wanted and not cared what his partner felt. But this was different. There was something to how Link had been tonight, wary and unsure of if he'd get hurt again. Then a few words got his guard to melt completely. Taking the idea of ignoring everything else seriously, he let himself get taken advantage of.

Well, he should keep to the thoughts that led to this. Reward him for choosing him over the princess now; draw him deeper into this trap. In time, that would pay off. Ganon left the Eblan inn as unnoticed as he had come and returned back to Hyrule Castle Town. There was no need to be sentimental and stay after Link had fallen asleep, not when Ganon had little use for sleep now.

This town was already a completely different character than what he first conquered. Not a single light shone within these walls now. In this darkness, monsters roamed restlessly. Steady clanks came from those with armor, while more feral beasts scuffled in the corners. A screeching yappy argument between some was somewhere in the alleyways. Among the damaged buildings, the scent of decay and evil was growing. If he wanted, he could turn this place into a disgusting mockery of its former self. It would be thrilling to get Zelda to return to it as if years of ruin had taken place, not weeks.

Was that what he really wanted?

"Of course it is," Ganon said to himself, knocking the rebellious doubt aside.

He had Albertos exposed with his hideous truth, then killed by his own hand. That would be enough for anyone else. But he was the evil king, with the soul of a demon and the legacy of a beast. That should not be enough. Utterly ruin the kingdom of Hyrule! Strip this place of its vain pretense of goodness and crush Zelda with despair at his works! That was what he should be doing. And the hero…

The hero, at one time, had been the only one who dared to face him without fear. Again and again, one life to another, the hero overcame overwhelming power and stopped him from turning the entire world to evil. Others became inspired by him and stood up to evil as well. But it was always the hero in the end who destroyed him. He hated that selfless light, the blessed one who made the Master Sword shine as bright as his soul. The cycle wore on, neither good nor evil keeping a steady claim to this world.

This hero could also look at him without fear, with a smile of bliss and eyes that tried to find a light within evil. He knew far deeper things about this hero than others. In return, the hero knew far deeper things about him. Could they even enter into that simple duel of good against evil this time? This was a new plan; it should now be a simple matter of using him for sexual pleasures that could corrupt him finally. And if that didn't work, turning him to being filled with hate should break the cycle, at least temporarily.

But did he really want this to remain a simple matter? Looking over a messy and cracking house, he saw a few toys that had been left behind by an evacuating family. What if he had been allowed to live a normal existence? He could have been stripped of a royal inheritance and sent to the orphanage where Link had grown up. He could have been allowed to choose his path from there. Did he want to be in a decaying kingdom or would he be happier if he could truly ignore all this and stay with Link through the night? And longer.

I can't choose; this is my fate.

A broken window shutter creaked in a dark wind. A throaty growl followed, covering over his pacing footsteps. Touching his throat, Ganon realized that was himself. These plans and double-faced thoughts, it was all too complicated. Simplicity was better. The strong would rule the weak, no, eliminate them. A person with weakness was trash and so was a world with weakness. Humanity made the world weak in making it too complex.

I am weak, afraid of what's inside me.

He should stop wallowing in old memories. And new ones, he'd take the power he held over others, whether in their cowardice or lust, and he would keep it. When the world finally woke up to the truth and accepted his rule, then he would end the cycle. That had been his plan. Since the world stubbornly refused to recognize its weakness, he would force it to submit to his power.

There were all kinds of desire in his eyes tonight, including a longing to be free of these roles that weigh us down. I saw that and wanted it as well. My lover, I wanted to stay, but I have to survive as a weak light in darkness.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a light in the darkness. Ganon grumbled. It was that group of Hylian loyalists who were determined to stay even as their kingdom became outwardly corrupted instead of inwardly. Whatever they thought of themselves, they were insignificant. They were incapable of doing anything but hiding like rats in a sewer. They weren't worthy of his time. Then again, they weren't worthy of living either.

I may be an embodiment of evil, but I'm not a brute. They love their homeland. Even if I hate this place, they must be respected for enduring like this. They're harmless, leave them be.

Stray thoughts tried to bubble through his mind to leave them be as harmless. This time, a snarl came with his growl. Being harmless was being weak. Staying his hand too long made him look reluctant. Ganon narrowed his eyes at that defiant light. They were reckless enough to keep a window open a crack, allowing voices to drift out.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, that's what this message says. He's willfully staying blind to these atrocities and has turned his back on Hyrule. It doesn't say what exactly went down, but he must have done something horrible to have Zelda declare him guilty of treason."

"But why? Link's supposed to be the hero."

This was supposed to be secret. She was supposed to be the forgiving bearer of wisdom. Now, Link's life would be utterly ruined and no one would trust him. It would help, but, this wasn't what he wanted. He was supposed to be protecting the innocent from his fall, not exacerbating such problems. It should have stayed a secret.

"Beats me."

"Well everyone thought he had to be the hero, as he seemed best fitting for the part. But has anybody actually seen the mark of the Triforce on him? He didn't even get the Master Sword. Maybe it got itself removed from the shrine because it knew he would be unworthy."

Link was going to be ruined soon, if he wasn't already. Good, that made him more likely to defect fully. This corruption would be something to enjoy.

No, it won't.

Something wasn't right. Ganon couldn't put his finger on it, but it might not matter. At any rate, these fools were simple to deal with since they'd made themselves so obvious. He could make it less obvious by backing up, but why be that careful? Being careful were for those who weren't strong enough to fight. The ground around him lit up with red.

They don't deserve this.

"Might be that. I haven't run into him so it's just the princess' word against him."

"He was a student of Sir Gregio, you know?"

"He's still around?"

"Yeah, and you'd think a student of his would be better disciplined."

"He wasn't too loyal himself, since he quit being a knight."

"He was against taking Albertos' orders, so I don't entirely blame him."

"Hey, is something up with the lights?"

The bar they were using was consumed in magical flames. The five in the main room suffered a panicky death, unable to escape; others were asleep and dead before they knew it. In seconds, buildings around it ignited. If there was anyone else left in town, they didn't have long to get out before this inferno would make sure they never left.

Ganon didn't care; he could let the town burn without it touching the castle. Perhaps the storm had been trying to tell him to be more destructive. If he was going to stop Hyrule, he needed to leave it in ruins.


	17. Disrespecting a Legend

**Chapter 17: Disrespecting a Legend**

"Ah, good morning sir," the innkeeper said respectfully.

Link nodded to her. "Good morning." Although his feelings were mixed up again. He had woken up alone, which was disappointing. Mostly, he was happy although he had to keep that quiet. He couldn't say why he was.

"One of the night watchmen wanted to pass along a message to you," she said before he could move on. "A messenger from the castle showed up last night looking for you on possible treason charges. We didn't say anything; it's actually good you slept in because another one came in asking about it and passing out notices."

Then it was going wrong. "Thank you, I'll be careful."

As soon as he got outside, he used the Song of Soaring to get to Taven. He didn't want to get Eblan in trouble for covering for him. Taven might get in trouble too, though it depended on how they reacted to him. On arriving, he noticed a light mist in the air. It was unusual because normally such weather would have burned off by this time of morning. While it was odd, it seemed like nothing to worry about.

He left town immediately to head for Trickster's Grotto. Since Zelda knew, it was better for him to get the sword quickly. But he'd have to walk; Balrog was too fast to make it through the woods safely. It gave him some time to think over what was going on.

The Master Sword was said to be the bane of all evil. Evil beings could grow so powerful that they accumulated many layers of defense. As such, normal weapons and even many enchanted ones were no longer any good against them. But certain ones with a divine origin, like the Master Sword and the Light Arrows, could cut through the defenses of evil without a problem. Physical armor could help them, but a sorcerer like Ganon would stick to lighter armor meant to enhance a magic wielder. Most heavy armor would interfere with their magic.

The hero would get the Master Sword to strike down the villain, who was the embodiment of evil in that era. But Ganon survived time and time again; his spirit usually had to be sealed away in order for it to stop causing trouble. And Gale was a part of Ganon now. Ganon wouldn't give Gale the same kind of survival ability. But Gale still had some good in him. He was holding them back, doing what he could to limit the deaths and devastation. Would the Master Sword recognize that? Or would it simply judge their overall evil and attempt to destroy both?

Was it worth it to stop Gale? After all, he had done some evil things himself. He'd originally not cared about Link beyond using him. Perhaps he still didn't care that much. It was possible that last night was just taking advantage of him. Or maybe he was starting to care because of that? But would he become a good person after this? As much as Link wanted to believe that, he could be very wrong. But he wanted to try to save Gale. There was a chance, or at least there seemed to be. How did he figure out what was really going on in Gale or Ganon's mind?

There was a temptation to just not think about all this. He could do whatever it took to stay with Gale, instead of trying to fit expectations. Since Zelda had turned against him, she didn't care about him. He didn't care about her either this time. Gale was actually helping him. Besides, they were close enough now that it would be horrible to fight him. Well, it had been terrible before too. Now it would feel even more traitorous than what Zelda was accusing him of. He could defy the legends by staying with Gale. But it might be Ganon. Don't care about that, just think of how it had been with him…

No, he did have responsibilities and thinking like that too much might trigger his shadow self to appear.

Link had entered Trickster's Grotto before realizing it; only the chime of the magical compass alerted him to that. The fog was thicker, most likely affected by the native magic. Now that he was here, there were new signs along the paths. They attempted to give guidance; there were even a few bell poles that were rigged to ring another bell in town and let people there know that someone was lost here. It had to be the work of Gregio and his students. Link still saw his old carvings, although some of them were fading as the trees grew. Both the signs and carvings led him back into the large meadow in the center.

As he got close, he heard a pan flute from that area. Was that the Skull Kid? The flautist was playing a lively tune that stirred up some of the dream images. It was the song of a forest; it was the song of a friend. Like Zelda's Lullaby, it had some magical qualities but no clear purpose. Once he was in the meadow, the song was clearly being played there. But the fog made it hard to tell where the player was.

Link got out his pan flute and waited for a moment to join in. Saria's song came naturally and he was able to play it without trouble. After a round of it, the other player stopped and small steps scuffled over. Link kept playing so that the Skull Kid could find him. On seeing him, the Kid grinned. "Ah, hello friend!"

Smiling, Link put down his flute. "Hello friend. It's really foggy today."

The kid twitched, making his bone decorations rattle. "Yes, yes, strange fog, it showed up last night. This isn't natural. I played the song to cheer the forest up! But nothing happened, except you returned. What've you come back for?"

"A thief stole the Master Sword and I'm looking for his hideout here to find it," Link explained.

"Really?" the Skull Kid asked, his eyes wide. "A thief could not touch that, no way. In the hands of the unworthy, that sword is dull and heavy. It has a soul, so they say. Do you think you can take it?"

He nodded. "I have the three medals that were supposed to lock it away; they've all accepted me."

"Nothing to do but try and see, see?" He took a hopping step away. "I know this place, I think I know the hideout? This way!"

"That's what Zelda told me," Link said, following the Skull Kid to one of the meadow exits. After making sure it had the right signs, he went after the Kid to look for the locking mechanism.

After two more shifts of the forest paths, they found a mossy stone tablet that wasn't like the signs the students had put up. There was a puzzle in some designs that could be turned; Zelda had also given him instructions on how this was supposed to unlock. Given who this hideout belonged to, the solution was obvious. The resulting design looked something like a rat with a dagger. The solved puzzle revealed that a nearby boulder was an illusion, covering up stairs that led into a cave underground.

The first room didn't have a ceiling; it had been carved out to form a perfect circle with stones lining the top. And down here was one of the living tree monsters that grew spindly arms and hurled apples in order to attack. While Link used to avoid them, or bait them out of his path, now he had a boomerang that could set things on fire. That made dealing with the tree monster a lot easier. And fortunately, it going up in flames didn't ignite the trees around it. Maybe it was the fog dampening the air, but setting the Grotto on fire seemed like a disaster in waiting with all the magic that would be released.

The death of the tree allowed him and the Skull Kid to walk deeper into the cave and find Hizza's actual treasure horde. There was a lot stored here: paintings, bags of rupees and old coins, statues, jewelry, glittering baubles that were made of precious materials but only seemed to have use as decorative paperweights, and a few odds and ends that seemed to be worth nothing. The Skull Kid poked at a few things, but didn't seem interested. "So much stuff. But, no instruments? These would break if you made music with them."

Link spotted something in a loose pile that might be of interest to the kid; he picked up the strand of bells that had a hand grip so they could be shaken. It looked more like a child's plaything rather than a treasure like some of the rest. "Not this," he said, handing it over.

"Ooo, how fun!" The Skull Kid jangled it, giggling at the sound it made.

While he kept giggling over the bells, Link walked further into the horde trying to find the sword. It turned out to be in a small room in the corner that had an old cot that looked ready to fall apart, a table with empty wine bottles, and a wooden chair that had sprouted small mushrooms. The Master Sword was in this room, although he only recognized it by the distinctive blue handle. Since Hizza couldn't get the sword properly, he'd tried to chisel it out of the concrete it was in. Little of the blade was visible even though many chunks were scattered on the floor. Nearby, there was a blue and gold sheath that should hold the sword.

"All this hassle and neglect from one man's pride," Link mumbled, then reached for the handle. But was it going to accept him now? He paused at the thought in concern. He really should have thought of this earlier. As it was a holy blade, it would only respond to a worthy holder. Was he worthy of it now? But if he didn't take it now, someone else could and put Gale in danger. Link took it. Maybe it didn't matter if he could use it...

The sword had been disrespected and neglected here. But the moment he touched it, a strong white glow appeared from the hidden blade. He lifted it and it wasn't as heavy as it looked. As the power in the sword reawakened, it shook the concrete fragments off itself. It accepted him as the hero, like in the legends.

Link didn't feel good about that. The sword might help with the dragons, yes, but could it really help with Gale's situation? Or would it just make things worse? It felt so strange to question that of a revered artifact of the goddesses, like it was strange to find it in this collection of forgotten things. Link gave it a few practice swings and found that it felt just as natural in his hands as his master's old sword did. Although as he held the blade up to give it a visual inspection, he noticed some scratches and remaining concrete fragments from its mistreatment. It could use sharpening under the hands of an excellent blacksmith. Link knew just who to ask in Taven, although possibly the man in Navin who'd made his shield could handle the job as well.

It was a little funny, though, that it was still accepting him just like the Triforce of Courage. What did anyone else know about the private side of the heroes anyhow? Their parts in the legends were all about their actions, not about their words or what thoughts might motivate them. He was still fighting to bring peace to Hyrule and its neighbors, to end this time of darkness and suffering. So who would care that he was doing this out of a love that others might call crazy? They didn't need to know why he did what he did. He was still a hero out to save someone.

"I just need to be firm about this, no more wavering," he said quietly to himself. That was right. No matter what others thought, he was going ahead with his wishes. Now he just had to figure out the details of how to pull this off. Since the Master Sword was longer, he strapped its sheath to his back and kept his regular sword at his side. It might not compare to the holy blade, but it could still have some use.

When he got back into the other room, the Skull Kid was glancing over the other things. But only the hand bells interested him. "I do not need things, the bells are all I want." The Kid looked over at him and jangled the bells. "Thank you friend! And you found your sword, good good. You do what you want with the rest of this junk; it's lost and you found it."

"Sure," Link said, although he had no clue what to do with the rest of it either. But he had thought of something to ask the Skull Kid while he was here. "Actually, you know a lot of songs, don't you?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, know many instruments too! You want to learn more songs? I can teach you many!"

"I'm looking for a song that can encourage someone to keep hope and strive for better things," he said. The Ballad of the Wind Fish still needed to be tried, but more options would be good. "There's someone I love, but he's resigned himself to a terrible fate. I'm still not that good with words, so if there's a song that could help him, I'd love to know it so I can play it for him."

"Mmm…" the Skull Kid titled his head one way, scratched it, then tilted it the other way. "Hard problem. Hard to find song to give anyone hope. Some songs might give one person hope, but not another. But, maybe find a good song from where he's from? Where's he from?"

"Sudai," Link said. When the Kid gave him a blank look, he pointed towards the east. "It's far down the River Hylia past the mountain range with Death Mountain, a low lying land with the river delta."

"Oh, the big marshland over that way?" the Kid asked. "I visited there sometimes, yes. I learned a great song over there: the song of the Marsh Queen."

"Marsh Queen?" As far as he knew, Sudai had been a kingdom like Hyrule.

"Maybe it help, maybe not," he said. "But if you go into the marsh, the flowers of the Marsh Queen will react to this song. It's great fun! Here." The song itself had a charming feel to it, like it would lure monsters closer. Link wasn't sure if this particular song would help either, but he practiced the song of the Marsh Queen with the Skull Kid until he felt like he could remember it well.

After that, the Skull Kid went back into the woods to return to whatever he did here. Link glanced around the treasure horde, then picked out a silver hand mirror that would look nice if polished up. He didn't have much use for these things. However, he knew how much it cost to keep the orphanage running from listening in on budgeting meetings and other official business. It would be a better use of these things to offer to the orphanage to sell and make sure they had a good amount of funds. When he left the horde, the illusion reappeared and the locking puzzle reset itself.

In the central opening, Link felt his skin tingle near the Master Sword. Someone was nearby, someone who could be a danger. The fog was dense now, making it hard to see even the trees. Stopping in place, he listened carefully. There were footsteps coming towards him. Not sure who or what that was, he moved quietly towards the path that led out of the Grotto.

He got another warning from the sword; it gave him a split second to step aside before a violet dagger cleaved into the ground and buried itself several inches deep. It vanished into smoke a moment later; Link noted the angle it was at. That was not the same person he heard walking. As they already knew where he was, he called out, "Who's out there?"

"Who are you?" a woman replied. She was the one he'd heard.

"It's Link," a man responded to her, likely the one who threw the magic dagger at him.

"We were told to capture you," the woman said. "Give yourself up or we will take you in forcefully. I'm General Kimbera and Velken is nearby as you've heard."

He wouldn't want to challenge any one of those three in single combat. They were certainly skilled (and Velken was likely the worst to run into in a fog like this). But that was a lesser reason not to fight. "I'll do neither," Link said, moving quietly towards the exit. "You both work to protect the people, so I won't seek to harm you."

"Because of that, we can't leave you alone," Kimbera said, moving towards him.

"Wait, have you picked up the Master Sword?" Velken asked, now in a different position than earlier.

"Did you?"

"Yes," he replied. "I got it to stop the Septdraco dragons."

Velken ordered, "Draw it; I want to see it in your hands."

That might help. Link brought it out, causing the fog to shrink away from the blade's light. Seeing that, he knew it couldn't be a natural fog. Perhaps it was one of the dragons nearby? He wanted to get the blade restored first as it might not be good in battle like this.

With the cleared area around him, he could see Kimbera fully. She was equipped similarly to him, with chainmail armor, a longsword at her side, and a quiver and bow on her back. She was staring a the sword in his hands in shock. "You… it accepted you?"

"I'm not going to fight you with it," he said, though he would keep it out for the better visibility. "Or at all, no matter what you say." He heard a crunching of grass nearby. Velken had dropped out of the trees, but kept to the edge of the cleared fog.

She still had trouble accepting it. "But you're consorting with Ganon… he has become evil." That did hurt her, it was clear in her voice. And she wasn't too sure about him. "You've even turned your back on your princess. Why would it accept you like that?"

"So even you've given up on him," Link said, shaking his head. "I won't. I'll find a way to free him from the role forced upon him."

"That's not going to happen," Kimbera said. Her hand was on the handle of her sword, but she was hesitant on drawing it.

"You're putting yourself at great risk," Velken said, stern and calm from where he couldn't be seen. "Not only in being ostracized as you will soon find yourself to be, but also in being hurt emotionally."

For a moment, he could hear Ganon's mocking words again. Link tried to keep from shivering and replied, "I already have been. Even so, this is what I've decided. I'll stop him, but in my own way."

Kimbera sighed. "Even if the sword has accepted you, I'm not sure I can. The way you've chosen seems too reckless. You could fail to the point where that sword will no longer shine for you."

Could she wield the Master Sword if things got much worse? Link glanced down at it. Even if he didn't like her, Zelda had been accepted by Wisdom and she must have sent them to intercede for a reason. "If that happens, I hope this sword guides you well," he said. "Until then, please let me try. I must get back to town to repair it as this fog is unnatural."

"No, we can't let you," Kimbera said, gripping her sword.

Before she could start a battle, Velken appeared by her side and clasped her arm. "This fog is from an evil creature keeping to a nearby spring," he said. "It's more important that it be taken care of properly to keep the local people safe."

"But he," she started to say.

"Zelda didn't think he could properly claim the sword," Velken said. "Things are not as simple as they seem; she should be informed of the different circumstances. And even if he is putting himself in a vulnerable position, Link has not harmed any innocent as far as we know."

"Very well," she said, letting go of her sword. "I think you're foolish and we will be watching you closely in case you are a true traitor. But if there is some way," she thought for a moment, "a way you could restore our former king to who he once was, we would be grateful."

"I'm doing all I can," Link said, then left them in the grotto. Relieved, he offered a silent prayer of thanks that the encounter had gone as well as it had. Perhaps Zelda might even overturn her declaration against him.

Back in Taven, Link found that things were strangely quiet. At this time of day, normally there'd be people talking outside and working with the windows open. The fog had become more dense here. Since Velken had let him in on where the dragon or other evil spirit was, he could go to the spring to take care of it. But he wanted the Master Sword in good shape. With limited visibility, the Light Arrows would not be as useful as they had been against the Sulfur Dragon.

The blacksmith was inside working on horseshoes while his wife was burning decorative designs into leather. As usual, she noticed him first. "Oh, hello Link, nice to see you again!"

"Hello," he said. "It seems very quiet in town today."

"Right, but this fog would make anyone nervous," she said. "I hope the children are holding up okay. Did you need something?"

"Yes, I need some work done on a sword."

"Of course, let me get his attention." The smith often got lost in his work, losing track of how many horseshoes he was making or how late the day was getting to be. Because of this, travelers often said that they made sure to come by Taven when they needed horseshoes replaced because they were cheap and of the high quality. It was safer to get his wife to get his attention since he might snap at someone else distracting him. This time, it took her a full minute to get him to stop.

"Oh, howdy there Link," the blacksmith said, nodding to him. "Need some work on your sword, I hear."

"Yes, but not my usual sword," he said, taking the Master Sword out of its sheath. "This one."

Both of them stared in awe of the shining blade he now had. "Mercy, is that the real Master Sword?" the blacksmith's wife asked.

"It can only be that," the blacksmith said, taking the sword reverently. But once he got a good look at the blade, he frowned as its glow faded. "What's with this? All the grit and scratches, and there's dust embedded in here..."

"It was stolen by the thief Hizza Rat and hidden in Trickster's Grotto," Link explained. "He carved the pedestal right out of the shrine, then tried to chip away all the concrete to make it usable. The larger chunks fell right off when I took hold of it."

"Unforgivable," the blacksmith muttered. "Hmph. I can clean it up and make sure the edge is sharp, no problem. But, word among blacksmiths is that a divine weapon like this, it's best to work on it if the sword's master stays nearby. It changes qualities if you get too far off."

"All right." He still backed off to give the blacksmith space to work with. It took three hours to get the blade restored, with the blacksmith giving it several inspections to make sure it was good. Then he had Link take it outside where there was a testing pole to check on the strength and sharpness of weapons. While Link struck the thick log with a basic strike, it cut right through the log like butter. Even when it wasn't being used against evil, this was an exceptional sword in the right hands.

"That kind of sword can't be imitated by moral hands," the blacksmith said, touching the edge of the cleanly chopped wood. "Has to be, it was originally made to destroy the otherworldly evil Demise."

"Demise..." the name caused chills down Link's spine.

"That's one of the oldest legends out there," the blacksmith said. "Though I wouldn't want to waste your time telling it now. Still, I've been fascinated by that particular one since I was a boy. It's what inspired me to be a smith. Heh, and now I've been able to work on the legendary blade itself. Be respectful of it, Link, and it won't let you down."

"Right, I know," he said. Although it might let him down if he couldn't find a way to do what he really wanted.

"Are you two still here?" the blacksmith's wife called in worry, coming out of the fog. "Oh, thank goodness."

"What's going on?" Link asked, concerned from her appearance.

"I was going to pick up some lunch at the tavern, but there was no one there," she said. "I checked the general store, but no one was there either. Even the orphanage seems to be empty. Everyone's going missing!"

"This fog might be from one of the dragons of the Septdraco," Link said.

"Fog from a dragon, huh?" the blacksmith said, rubbing his chin. "I remember something my grandfather used to talk about. You wouldn't happen to have a mirror you can take around with you, would you?"

"Actually, I do," he said, taking it out of his bag. "It's dusty too."

"One of the dragons of the Septdraco is called the Prism Dragon," the blacksmith explained. "It was captured in northern Hyrule, where my granddad was from. It would hide in a thick white fog and people did get lost in it. But if you had a clean mirror, the dragon and anyone it had captured would appear as long as you showed them their reflection. They'd look like a rainbow or something in the mirror first, then pop right out after a moment."

"We've got some silver polish inside, that should work just fine to clean that," his wife said. "I hope you can find everybody before the dragon eats them or makes them gone forever."

"I'll save them," Link said. He went inside to get the hand mirror polished up, then headed out to explore the town and see if he could find anybody. The blacksmith and his wife stayed inside after making sure the windows were shut so the fog couldn't get into their home, although he was muttering about looking for a handheld mirror as well.

Link headed towards the orphanage first, checking the mirror regularly. As the building's form appeared, he found a colorful shimmer reflected in the mirror. Once he got the shimmer to fully appear on the mirror's surface, one of the older town guards materialized out of the fog. "Huh, Link? Where'd you come from?"

"You were lost in this magical fog," he said, then explained about the disappearances and mirrors.

"I thought I was sleepwalking, not able to find my way in all this white," the guard said. "I know my wife has a mirror like that, I'll go fetch it to help out. Be careful."

"You too," he said, then headed inside.

The fog had filled the orphanage, much to his horror. However, he knew where the furnace controls were and how to activate ventilation fans that should pull the fog right out. When he checked around, the halls were mostly empty. There were only a few kids who had tried to sneak into the pantry late at night only to find the building full of fog. Link sent them off to shut the windows, then checked in the bedrooms. Unlike the troublemakers, most of the children had been asleep in their beds. They woke up shortly after he drew them out; the younger ones were crying from nightmares.

"You'll be safe," Link said to reassure some of the girls. "Stay inside for now and don't open up the windows until the fog is gone from outside too."

"Where'd this evil fog come from?" one of them asked.

"I think it's a dragon. I'll be taking care of it once we get as many as we can out of the fog."

"Are you really gonna kill the dragon for us?"

Link nodded. "Of course. I've got the Master Sword now and the dragon can't hide from me."

That cheered the girls up, so he left the older girls to look after the younger ones until he got the teachers free as well. But when the headmistress called for all the children to be checked on, there was one still missing, an eleven-year-old boy named Marley. One of the teachers was sure he'd been asleep in one of the boys' dorms and the ones who'd been sneaking around said they hadn't invited him along. The guard came into the orphanage then, reporting that they'd managed to account for everyone else in town. Only Marley couldn't be found. The guards agreed to keep checking outside with the mirrors they had while Link went to see about tracking down the dragon itself.

As Velken had mentioned the spring, Link went there first. The fog was very thick there, to the point where even the Master Sword wasn't clearing up much. Link had to rely on his memory to navigate the area, running his hands across familiar trees and finding stones in the right places. As the trees opened up, he brought up the mirror and began scanning around for signs of color. This was where they often brought the children out to play and listen to stories. If a group had been out here when the dragon arrived, it could have turned out much worse.

There was a strong area of shifting colors over the pond itself. The mirror got bright as he got it more in the reflection, but it wasn't until he stepped into the pool that the dragon emerged from the fog. It was a bizarre one, surrounded by a bubble that reflected many colors. Inside the bubble, he could make out a small two foot long dragon that had mirrored scales and wings. A crystal horn on its head and a similar orb curled up in the end of its thin tail scattered light all about, making dots of color appear on the surface of the spring. The seal marking it had was at the base of its tail.

As Link tried to do a quick draw with the Master Sword on it, he saw the yellow ring on the Septdraco shimmer. "Let's choke out this slippery little eel; it'll be a hard time trying to hit it with anything else."

The quick draw went right through the bubble, but it didn't break. The Prism Dragon itself swirled around the path of his blade to avoid getting hit. Shaking his head, Link tried stabbing the dragon through the bubble. It avoided that too. Sulfur's power would probably work to weaken Prism but it could hurt the boy as well. Unsure of where Marley was, he didn't want to put him at further risk.

The Prism Dragon then shrieked, a tone so high-pitched that it felt like it could pierce right through his skull and pulverize his brain. His lungs and heart seemed to stop for a moment, making him gasp once the sound passed. However, that popped its bubble; the Prism Dragon to spread out its wings in order to resummon it. Link tried to stab it then, but the little dragon swung its tail and pushed itself out of reach and out of sight. He did see the shimmer that accompanied the return of its bubble shield.

He needed something to stun it. He reached into his bag and got hold of the trirang first. Watching the shine in the fog, he activated all three elements before throwing it at the dragon. The explosion managed to disperse some of the fog; it was followed by a splash and noisy thrashing of water. Link hurried over and found the Prism Dragon fighting to get above water. Although the bubble was still there, it was now full of water. Link took advantage of the moment and stabbed it through the tail. It squealed into a sputter and turned to smoke.

After a moment, the smoke gathered into a small orb, then resummoned the Prism Dragon. It made a high-pitched giggle that was more disturbing than the Skull Kid's. "So, you're now the one that holds our little prison?" the Prism Dragon asked. "Your heart is so full of light, blech, but there's so much fog in your mind. How delightful!" It made Link feel ashamed, but then the dragon went on to add, "And it's all because of a beautiful man, hmm hmm? Oh, why don't you just give up on the idea of good and evil? It's all in one's perspective, you know. The ones who want so much order can be good and evil too. The only thing that should matter is that he's beautiful and you'll follow your heart through whatever fog and dark it leads you into. It will be worth it when you release all restraint."

This dragon was only going to confuse things more; Link wasn't sure how to respond to this.

The dragon whirled around in its bubble. "Well well, the important thing is that you're going to destroy an ugly order that doesn't care how beautiful things are. That's true, huh? You're gonna fight Demise?"

"So Demise is active?" Link asked.

Swinging its tail like a pendulum, the dragon said, "Hmm, you don't know the truth? All well, but you'll have to ask someone else. I prefer fogging things up, not clearing them up. I want to help you in your quest to save your beautiful man." It swirled around until it turned back into the glowing silver orb, then turned one of the Septdraco's rings iridescent silver.

"I hope you didn't kill Marley," Link said, looking around the spring. The fog was visibly lifting, but he still couldn't see far here.

"Oh no, he was such a cute boy!" the dragon said, seemingly from just behind his ears. "A few more years and he'll be a lovely fellow. I like to turn the good looking ones into my disciples to make the world more wondrous than before. The uglies can just fade away. But, I didn't have the time to do that here, bummer. He's over by the shore on dry land, don't worry."

There was a colorful area to the fog, Link noticed. Heading over there, he found a familiar boy lying on the ground and just waking up. Relieved at that, he crouched down and put his left hand on the child's face to check on him. There was no sign he was cursed; he was still breathing and his skin was warm, moist from the fog. As he was slow to wake up, Link nudged him. "Marley, it's time to get up," Link said gently.

"Mmm," the boy grabbed at his hand and opened his eyes. On seeing him there, he blinked. "Link? You look like the Picori hero."

Link smiled at him. "I'm a different hero. Come on, let's get you back home."

Marley nodded and accepted his hand to get to his feet. The fog cleared out as they walked back to town. While Marley wasn't sure how he'd got captured, he didn't seem that worried or harmed. The teachers were relieved to see him and a few of the younger children greeted him happily like a friend. Everyone in town was accounted for by the town guard; he'd arrived at a good time.

Once the fog was gone and the sun was shining over town, Link agreed to go with the kids out to the town square and tell them about some of the adventures he'd gone on. The older ones teased him a bit, but it was clearly because they were surprised to hear from him when they'd mostly seen him as the quiet but nice guy who took care of horses. They were in awe as he told them about things like how he defeated the Phantom Ganon in order to gain control over his horse. Link even called out Balrog briefly to prove to them that it did happen. But even with him there, he didn't think it was safe to try putting one of them up on the horse's saddle.

Eventually, he excused himself by saying that he had to find the other dragons. Link did take a few minutes to hand the silver mirror over to the school's headmistress and inform her about the rest of the treasures in the thief's den. She was reluctant to take ownership over the whole hoard, but thanked him for the offer to support the orphanage.

Marley found him as he was coming out of the headmistress's office. "I wanted to give you something since you saved me," he said, offering a folded ash gray piece of clothing. "I know it's not the right color, but these were my dad's tunic and hat, and he said they were special. Take care of them, okay?"

A different color… it might be useful just for that. "Thank you, I will."


	18. Realm of Sin II

**Chapter 18: Realm of Sin II**

His next target was the Clockwork Dragon, said to be roaming Hyrule Fields and Gerudo Desert. It would be best to get it away from an inhabited area. In that case, the desert seemed like the best battleground. His room at the orphanage had been given away to a refugee now working there, so he spent the night at the inn and warped to the desert oasis.

The desert didn't have much for cover, being a mostly flat area with sandy ground. As he considered how to handle this, he realized that there was a group of soldiers here at the oasis. A pair was working on a device while others were setting up a pit that reminded him of a hunter's cover. Would they recognize him? Link was wearing the gray clothes he'd gotten from Marley instead of his usual green, so he shouldn't be as obvious. He acted calm to not raise any other suspicions.

"Hello, what are you doing out here?" one of the soldiers asked him.

Link nodded to them. "I came out to see about stopping the Clockwork Dragon. Are you here for the same?"

"Not quite," the soldier said. "We were sent to scout out the area and dragon. We weren't ready for someone who could fight it."

"We won't be able to complete the base until the warp station is set up," another said.

"I've got the Septdraco, so I don't need a base," Link said, holding his right hand up so they could see the artifact.

The two soldiers stared at it in disbelief. "How did you get it from Ganon?"

Link shook his head. "I didn't get it from him. I defeated the Sulfur Dragon and gained it that way."

"That's good to hear that one of them is down."

"Two of them, I got the Prism Dragon yesterday. Do you have any information on the Clockwork Dragon now?"

"We're supposed to report to General Leonidas," the second solider said.

The first one rubbed his chin. "Yes, but if he's already taken out two, it shouldn't hurt to tell him what we know."

"It'd be better to have that horror out of the skies quickly," one of the technicians at the warp device commented.

"That would be," the second said.

"It's killed off several patrols already," the first one said. "And it may have attacked the castle town, since a huge fire has been burning there since before yesterday. There weren't many left there, but those few are likely dead. As for the dragon itself, no one has seen it on the ground; it's always flying or hovering in the air. Still, it would be best if you could get sight of it first. It can strike things from two miles away, possibly three. It appears to be made metal, but we haven't been able to make close observations."

"We got word a little while ago that it was hovering around Ruto. You'd think that with it being called the Clockwork Dragon, it'd have a regular pattern to its movements. If it does, it hasn't been around long enough for us to decipher such a pattern. It does return here at night, which is why we've set up here."

When he'd been to Ruto, he hadn't been of a mind to observe much of the area. Link recalled that it had been an open field with a few scattered tree groves, with foothills leading into the northern mountains several miles from town. It was worrisome that the castle town was in ruins, but he felt that Gale could keep himself safe from a fire. "I see. Are there any towns north of Ruto and before the mountains? Or is that area pretty open?"

"Not between the town and mountains if that's what you mean," the soldier said. "There is an old stone fort there in an open field. Much of that place collapsed in a previous conflict, but the stone blocks are large enough that you might get some cover there."

"You'd have to get from Ruto to the fort ruins without alerting the dragon," the other one said. "No one wants to travel out in Hyrule Field because of it."

But he had an unnaturally fast horse and if it was there, drawing it away from the town was a priority. "I think I can pull something off. Thanks for the information, I'll see what I can do today."

"Wait sir, that one could be beyond one person's ability," the first soldier said, coming closer to stop him from warping away.

"They're not that hard," Link said, then stepped back and brought up his flute to play the Song of Soaring.

It wasn't cold in Ruto, but it was noticeably cooler than the desert. As he arrived inside the barricade on the west end of the main road, nearby guards readied themselves. "What are you doing here, stranger?" one asked.

"I'm tracking down the Clockwork Dragon," he said. "I heard it was here."

"Yes, up there," the guard said, pointing to the southern sky. "It hasn't done anything yet, thankfully. We don't want to provoke it."

He nodded, then looked up to the south. While it was high overhead, it was clearly much larger than the Sulfur Dragon. Red and gold scales glimmered in the sun like fire; its wings appeared to be a series of huge gears attached to thin orange membranes. From here, he couldn't spot a seal marking on it. "Has it attacked any towns yet?"

"No, but we really don't want it to start."

If the stories were right, it could wipe this town off the map. "I know. I've heard there are ruins of an old fort to the north; how far are they from this town?"

"About four miles," the guard said.

"Good, that should be far enough away," Link said, then put his flute away. His quiver was already on his back, so he just needed the bow at hand.

"You're really going after it? Are you crazy?"

"Some would say so," he said. Since he was as ready as he'd get, he summoned Balrog. "I'll draw it away to the ruins, to keep it from hitting this town. You should still be alert."

"Who are you?" the guard asked, still not believing what he was hearing.

"I'm Link," he said, getting into the saddle. He gave the guard a small wave before getting Balrog to trot along the street and off to the north. There were other people in the streets, ones who gave him wide gawking berth once they saw his horse and its flaming blue hair.

There was another barricade to the north with another guard. But the barricade was made to stop monsters from coming in. After judging the distance and waiting for someone to move out of the way, he let Balrog run to leap over the barricade and leave Ruto. The guard was startled at this, but there wasn't anything he could do to stop them. And this should catch the dragon's attention…

"If it's attention you're looking for," the Prism Dragon said cheerily, "you just leave it to me. I'll even lead the shots for you. Aren't I nice?" It then fired a spell into the air that burst into a rainbow of sparks far overhead.

A bellowing roar filled the air as Clockwork noticed. More rainbow shafts surrounded him, indicating angles towards the ground. From what Prism had said, Link moved Balrog to the other side of the road to avoid a cluster of the shafts. Flaming rocks followed, slamming into the ground and creating blast pits everywhere. One further ahead crushed a large tree into burning splinters. While Balrog was fine in being a spirit, Link didn't think he could take a hit from those. If it didn't kill him outright, he'd be badly crippled.

Avoiding Prism's shafts to avoid Clockwork's barrage, Link and Balrog pushed on even as the air filled with dust kicked up from the destruction. Waves of magic blades and metallic arrows were added in to strike him one way or another. It got so bad that he barely saw dark profiles of the stone fort in time to pull Balrog away from crashing straight into the ruins. Now he needed a shelter to take until the air cleared.

One of Prism's shafts became massive, sweeping around trying to find him. Link guided Balrog around the fort, keeping an eye on it. A shrill sound came from overhead, followed by a blood red beam of energy slamming into the old fort. The stones turned bright in melting, releasing a horrible stench in the air. While he'd been able to evade the barrage, that thing was something to fear. It was a sign that death could come in an instant against this dragon.

He put his hand with the Septdracon on it near his mouth. "Sulfur can drain opponents, right?"

"Oh god, you want me to go against Clockwork?" Sulfur said in horror. "I don't mind fighting Prism because that little pest is the weakest in combat. Clockwork is pure menace and death."

"Sulfur can," Prism said, amused. "You want to find out how to use us as summons? Heh. You'll have to get rid of the horse first."

The red beam was still firing, so Link moved Balrog away from it before dismounting and dismissing him. The thick dust and his gray tunic would keep him harder to spot, he hoped. Covering his mouth again, he asked, "Now what?"

"Well I'm no good for combat like old yellow-belly there said. Sulfur should do since that's basically your only option now. Grip the outer part of the ring of the dragon you want to summon and pull. If you want, you can call out their names too for flair."

It was unnecessary flair (and not a good idea with all the dust and smoke about), so Link simply tugged on the yellow ring. It pulled out slightly and yellow energy surrounded him. Instead of calling Sulfur nearby, the magic tightened and manifested a strange armor on him. The yellow scale mail had a sulfuric scent and strangely little weight to it.

"And you have wings now!" Prism said.

"Fine," Sulfur said, sounding closer to his ears than the out-of-sight Prism. "Just direct me, I'll get you in striking range. The seal marking is on its chest."

Drawing the Master Sword, Link nodded. "All right, let's go."

It was like jumping and not getting caught by gravity. As Prism was still showing where Clockwork's barrage was going, Link was able weave through on his approach. The metal dragon paused a moment on noticing him, then rushed forward to meet him. A rash move, one that made it easier to see the white seal on its chest. He knew how he wanted to approach and Sulfur responded; they dove down out of its attack, then rose up to drive the Master Sword through the seal.

The sword brightened, shattering the enormous dragon apart. Really, once he knew where the seals were, fighting the dragons wasn't going to be hard. As Link got surrounded by a red mist, he knew that the harder part was coming. At least Prism had agreed to help him without a challenge like this. The summoned form of Sulfur vanished, leaving him back in his usual armor and clothing.

Seeing the torch basin beside him, he figured that the goal had to be the same: find a soul flame and bring it back here. There was something that worried him about the fiery haze to this one. That was a more dangerous sign in his dreams. And instead of being near the stone ruins, this appeared like the Gerudo Desert, a vast stretch of land with… were those grave markings out in the distance? Tattered flags that might be old war banners waved behind them.

There were a few monsters closer to the protection seal, phantoms in heavy cloaks or thorny armor. Closing his eyes, he recalled that these guardians couldn't be defeated with normal or magical weapons. Had the Master Sword ever been used against beings like these? He didn't think so. It'd be better to test that out against a single guardian, not that cluster of half a dozen over there. There was also two other protection seals in his view.

Link picked the one that would be easier to run to and sprinted for it. The guardians came alert to his movement and howled furiously. Once he got to the other seal, they got confused and started attacking each other. That wasn't right. The image he had for them was a calm intimidating being with a strong sense of duty. Their sole purpose should be guarding a place or being obstacles to a test goal.

Then again, they were destroying each other which helped with thinning out the threat. The armor guardians used their swords in a display of brutish power; the form they had looked barbaric to Link. The mage guardians seemed equally wild with their spells, although he didn't have the training to be certain. When the last one standing screamed out, Link again felt that this armor guardian was wrong. It shouldn't have this fury.

That might make it sloppy, if dangerous. Taking a moment to ready his wits, Link left the safety zone with his shield and sword ready. The armor guardian rushed for him, swinging its sword like it meant to cleave him in two. He simply did the same as he had to the dragon: step to the side and strike where this one was unshielded. In response, the Master Sword gave a pure clamor as it cut through the steel-like shell.

In the sound and feel of that strike, Link knew what was wrong here. This guardian was a being of evil, not a servant of the divine. Knowing that gave him confidence in fighting it. While those wild swings were deadly, it was vulnerable to the Master Sword. He felt his shield shudder on blocking its strike, but it held and gave him an opening that brought the evil guardian down. But there was no sign of the soul flame here.

"Link!" someone cried out with fear.

The childish voice caused a chill in his blood. What were they doing here? Link turned towards the voice and saw a vague form in the wavering air. He hadn't been in Ruto long; maybe someone was missing from there. As he ran towards the child, another figure approached. It was one of those mage guardians, headed for the child instead of him.

He diverted to intercept the guardian, keeping it from reaching the child. It was like cutting through a ghost in that there was little resistance and a cold presence to his strike. Seeing the guardian move a handless glove to cast, Link shifted his shield to knock the attack orb back to its source. It was disintegrated. There didn't seem to be another guardian around.

When he turned back to the child, though, he could barely see their face. They didn't have any color aside from the warm glow of this realm, with inky hair and pale skin. "Are you okay?" he still asked.

"Am I?" the child asked, looking up and revealing that they had no eyes. Their mouth turned into a freakishly wide grin as they pulled out a dagger to attack. Link backed up out of the attack. The false child giggled madly and stretched itself out to have a longer reach. "What're you doing being a hero after you betrayed your princess? You are such a fool, stubbornly denying that which goes against your desires. You don't see the blackness growing within your soul. How about you just die for being a failure?"

Hurt by those words, Link felt his face get warm and he had an impulse to lash out. Yet he was still out in the open of this strange realm where any lurking guardians could see him. For that reason, he denied that impulse and searched for a way to defeat this strange creature. The false child was wielding its dagger as its only weapon; those stretched limbs looked too feeble to be threatening. He waited for it to try slashing at him before moving in with a thrust. With a disturbing cry of pain, the false child died.

The Master Sword was still responding to it being evil. Was it going to be like this if he got forced to fight Gale? Perhaps the false child was cruel and twisted, but that death still troubled Link. It wasn't a real child. Still, he felt sick at its death cry. He headed back to the safe zone to get his mind ready again.

Where was the soul flame? Sulfur's challenge had offered it right away. Unless it was an unusual color, a fire was going to be hard to spot in this place. The other had been white like the seals. There was the seal he'd entered from, the other seal he'd seen from there, a third seal on the sands further away from the entrance, and a white glimmer past that. As he didn't see any other spot of white, Link made sure he was calm, then ran for the distant seal.

Before long, magical beams and more fireballs rained down around him. Prism wasn't helping him this time, but Link quickly noticed a gold shimmer on spots that the barrage was hitting now. The sands shifted under his feet, quivering with all the carnage. Why would anything need all this power? Especially when it wasn't that accurate. He could be a lot more effective with a carefully aimed arrow.

He was close to the seal when he could see the other white spot more clearly. That looked to be another soul flame, its torch being held in a simple stand. Running right past the safe zone, he went to claim the torch. He briefly felt its heat, reminding him of yesterday when he'd argued with Zelda. He should have taken that more calmly. Then again, she had been angry as well, confronting him rather than consulting him as she may have intended. He would need to be more mindful of harmful anger in the future.

"I do have to apologize to her," Link said, ignoring the attacks still going on around him. They weren't going to hit him.

With those words, the soul flame accepted him. He turned around and saw other shadowy figures within the fiery air. They weren't really important, he realized. If they got in his way, he might fight them. But his goal was getting this back to the start and any battle here would only waste time. Link ran back, dodging attacks and ambushes along the way.

He returned the soul flame with a few scrapes and burns; they were close calls, but still not worth fighting. Once the basin was lit, there was a heavy thump in the sands behind him as the Clockwork Dragon finally landed. "Where is your anger? Battle is a place for fury, to wipe out those you hate and snuff out their existence so that they never stain your life again."

"I was not taught to fight with such aggression," Link said, turning and looking up to face it. Up close, it looked even more unnatural, with bolts running along seams in its armor and not a sign of flesh anywhere. Even its eyes were more like burning coals than something organic.

"And you still won? I cannot believe this." Its wings shifted with mechanical clicks. "What of Demise, hmm? The ancient demon isn't even of our world, but he has the sheer arrogance to create a cycle of destruction and despair that lets him control our history. Even as he loses, he still wins. You're just another pawn, as is the princess and the so-called villain. If it wasn't for him, we might've had a chance and you wouldn't be taking on the hellish burden you have."

"I would like to destroy him, but I don't want to destroy Gale along with him," Link said.

Clockwork snarled. "You… you dare attempt to be our summoner when you only have righteous fury within you?! We were crafted of sin and made to ruin the land!"

That sounded bad. But the other two had mentioned something. "You would have succeeded if it hadn't been for Demise taking control and twisting your goals, wasn't it?"

The very air around them seemed to darken. "You've got that right."

"And you seem to hate him far more than me," Link said. "We have the same goal in that at least. And I got the soul flame back here in spite of your efforts."

After it growled, Clockwork said, "I despise being reasoned with. Understand? Don't try that again."

"I'll consider that."

The dragon snorted and the air lightened. "But yes, to crush that demon, we're willing to compromise even with a calm little hero of light. Much as I hate to admit it, your will has conquered mine. Fine. I am the Clockwork Dragon, born of wrath, and I submit my will to yours. Whatever obstacle you face, I can erase it off the face of the earth. Anything you need destroyed will be gone."

Which meant that Clockwork would be of no use in saving Gale directly. "Like the Great Wyrm?" Link asked, recalling that it was supposed to be the largest of the seven.

It actually chuckled at that. "Oh yes, let me at that lazy fool. Be a hero of dragons! Let nothing stand in your way and leave nothing to stand behind you either." The strange realm faded as they returned to the normal world. The Septdraco changed again, with a ring next to the prismatic silver one turning red.

And the Prism Dragon appeared, still holding onto its sphere. "Hee hee, got to know how to play those fools right! Nice work."

Given what Clockwork had said, Link felt uneasy with the praise. "What are you doing?"

Prism tilted its head. "I said I'd help you and I'm helping you. I am helping, right? Cause I let you dodge being obliterated like all that." It flicked its tail towards the fort.

Nearby, there was a large puddle of molten rock that crackled as it scorched the grass it came into contact with. He'd gotten a glimpse before of large walls that should have been weathered with age. Those walls were now either part of the cooling lava pool or shattered into gravel. Since this fort had been on a higher elevation, he could see a long stretch of blackened craters along the road back to Ruto.

The power to cause all this destruction was now in his hands. Feeling a quiet horror, Link looked over the Septdraco with its three colored rings. Stealing life, creating a confusing fog, bearing an array of weapons where any single of them could be terrorizing: this really wasn't power that he wanted. Then again, it was in his hands and he knew he'd be careful with it. This summoning artifact could get used by someone who didn't mind abusing its power if they could get the dragons to cooperate.

"Now I know some of the others can be awful grumpy," Prism said, hovering to his other side. "But I know what's gotta be done, my handsome hero. The real villain is Demise, the one that must be destroyed. I'll help you in any way I can to cast him out of the world. And I gave my word, I'll help you to get what you really want in all this."

"I didn't face a challenge with you like the other two," Link said, still wary. At the same time, he was grateful for the support.

"Well that's cause I didn't feel like challenging you," the small dragon said. "Like I said, our ultimate goals are the same and I can put aside minor wishes in order to accomplish that. I have a real good feeling about you! So don't worry. Just call me out if you want something from me."

He didn't feel like Prism was trustworthy. But it seemed willing to help with the others so they could fight Demise, once the specifics of his plan could be worked out. "Good. We should find a way through these mountains to reach the Great Wyrm, then."

"At your service!" it said cheerily before dissolving into bright sparkles.

* * *

Dear Gale,

How are you doing today? I wanted to talk with you about some things last time, but didn't get around to it. And yesterday I was back at the orphanage, so I was busy talking with the kids and assuring them that I was taking care of things. Tonight, I'm somewhere in the northern mountains looking to get into the territory where the Great Wyrm is. There's a trader's road here, I believe, that should lead to the other side.

I was working on a letter to Zelda too. I know you probably don't care for her, but we had an argument recently. Perhaps it was inevitable. I still feel like I should apologize and try to explain things. Of course, it was about you. She has visions like my dreams, except she can see into things currently going on. Do you see things like that because of your role? While it took her some time, she's realized what was going on between us. It's more of a problem on my end of things, since she declared me a potential traitor.

Luckily, I've convinced a few people already that I'm not trying to be. I want to be able to talk better with people and I'm actually doing well lately. But it gets hard on me when they start talking against you. I would like to just talk with you again, if that's all right with you. I know it could be hard on you given your situation, but I hope that we can find a way.

And please keep hope and faith in me for this. I will find a way to save you, whatever it takes. If you can believe in me, I know I can do it.

With love, from Link

Dear Link,

The castle town is burning. I'd be fine if it wasn't for that, though it doesn't have a chance to get into the castle. While I know I did that, I can't explain why I did it. It wasn't necessary even if the pest that triggered it is no longer around. There's a lot of times I can't explain things, when I realize I'm following conflicting agendas. I was following thoughts that didn't feel like myself.

That answers one of your questions; I can access memories from my predecessors like my own. In exchange, I know there's a darker force putting thoughts in my head and directing my actions. Sometimes it's in greater control over me. When I with you, though, I can be myself. It doesn't see our time together as important, like it stays out of these letters mostly. I'm not certain if you can separate us like you want. Yet reading your letter, I want to believe in you. I'm sorry if it's tough on you, but keep following your heart as it seems to be leading you well.

From what I know, you have the right idea in following the trader's road through the mountains. It should have good bridges and wide paths. If you're on the right one, there's a fort in the mountains that acts as a waystation for those traders. You'll be able to get good gear there; you'd better do that since you'll at least need some cold-weather clothes for going that way. There's a goddess in that region who prefers winter and makes sure her land stays that way year long. She may not be directly helpful, but respecting the beliefs of the people up there should help. The main issue there you may encounter is that they believe going out at night is too dangerous. Try to get somewhere to stay before sundown or they won't open their doors for you.

And right, don't ask me about Zelda. I'm pretty sure that this cycle could be broken if she died before having a daughter, which the dark voices would love to convince me to do. But I lose a little more awareness with every violent act I do, whether by my will or not. It may be smarter for me to stay away from her now.

I'd like to talk with you more face to face too, but it may be best to only write tonight. Though I would love to get you back in bed.

Love, Gale

Dear Gale,

Well I can't deny that I want to love you again, a bit of why I'm fine with just writing tonight or we wouldn't really get to talk. Sometime, though, if you're up to it and you know the other voice won't interfere. My shadow self really hates that, though. I've been tense while setting up camp here, thinking that it might show up and try to stop me based on responsibilities and honor. However, I think it'd be easier to convince the princess to go along with me than the shadow.

I know you said not to ask, but that made me think, are you sure killing her like that would break the cycle? I am pretty sure that I'm only a spiritual descendant of the first hero. If her bloodline was to die out, isn't there a strong chance that her role would start passing to spiritual descendants as well? Though I don't have many ideas on what else might break the cycle.

Anyhow, thanks for letting me know about the fort. I'll see about getting supplies there. I don't think anyone that far out will recognize me easily. As I got some different clothing to go over my armor; the few people that I've spoken to today didn't think I could be the green-clad hero they're expecting. I have some cold weather clothing but they should be in storage now. Still, I could use a new coat and it'd be faster to get one at the fort. I'll have to buy more paper for letters as well, since I don't have many sheets on hand.

I've heard about the fire; I hope it dies off soon if it's bothering you. And I look forward to a time when you won't have to worry about actions and thoughts out of your control. Once this is over and the land is at peace, what do you say about coming with me to find other lands? I know there's plenty out in the world, many that I've dreamed of from past heroes. There's even a land of powerful machines called trains out in the world somewhere. That would be interesting to see with my own eyes. Away from the expectations of Hyrule, we could truly be free to be ourselves.

I have confidence that if you could follow your heart too, then you'd turn out to be a good person. For that reason, I don't mind defying the expectations others have of me as a hero. I'll fulfill my role in a way I see fit. Your darker voices want you to believe that you should expect nothing outside of what they call fate, right? I won't ask that you defy them as I do, as that could be too dangerous on your part. Just keep hope that you can have your own life past this time of legend.

Love, Link

* * *

The sky over Hyrule Castle was dark with smoke even as the flames were dying down with the stone walls penning them in. "It's a move to keep manipulating him," Ganon said to himself, trying to work the crumpled paper and wooden token into the enchanted envelope. "That's right. He'll be so warped from his desires that he will stay by my side as I rule a land of darkness." He closed his eyes; shadows whispered to him. "I'm not falling for these naive dreams; nothing has changed."

That was right. Nothing should change. At least, not for him. It had been a long wait, degrading their spirits over the generations. If he was right to suggest that the princess' (thus the goddess') soul might move away from blood descendants, the soul would have to wear down even further. He remained strong. At some point, he would prove that there was no unbreakable spirit, no purity that could go uncorrupted.

Right, so let him think there was a weakness where there was none. If this Link did not break, then surely the next one would. Ganon sent the envelope off and turned his thoughts towards all of the lands that Hyrule now encompassed. There were some provinces that had escaped having a dragon descend on them; darkness had to spread to all lands that Hyrule claimed.

Far to the north, Link bandaged up a fresh cut on his arm and hoped that the general potion would help it heal quickly. Had the Master Sword gotten rid of his shadow self for good after this latest ambush? He had his doubts as the charm was still on the bracelet, unlike the one for Phantom Ganon. At least it shouldn't attack again tonight and he could get to sleep.

The envelope landed on the ground beside him as he was finishing that up. He'd gotten a little of a letter to Zelda written and wasn't sure if that little bit was any good. Even if Gale couldn't be of help with her, he picked up the envelope to open. There was a round wooden charm inside that had small runes burned into it; the letter looked like it had been crumpled and nearly torn. His concern was only increased on finding that the writing was messier than usual.

Link…

I know you mean every word you say, even in writing. But as you may guess from the state of this letter, I can't afford time writing anymore this evening. I can't explain how I feel right now. I'm afraid for you; I would like to see other lands with you. But I must be more careful with my chances around you.

I want to see you, but you must be careful. They will kill you if they have the chance. As for your shadow, keep this ward nearby so that it won't disturb your nights. It won't work under daylight.

Love, Gale

"I really need to figure out a way to make sure I'm speaking to you alone," Link said, then took the ward in hand. That'd be one less worry off his mind, and one more proof that he cared. "Thank you."

 _A/N: To the person who had the Megaman theory, yup, looks like that happened! Though it's a MM2 Metal Blade situation since Clockwork can decimate anything._


	19. Trail of the Great Wyrm

_Warning: On AO3, this story has a tag for an abusive relationship and this is where things get worse in that regards. I could change some other things to put this below an M rating, but not the scene here._

 **Chapter 19: Trail of the Great Wyrm**

As the morning wore on, the air got cooler. Some of it was from the higher elevation, but some had to be from the winds from the north. Link rode Balrog on the worn road through the mountains and pines, keeping an eye out for the fort. There were Bokoblins and Moblins roaming the road as well. While he could simply ride past most, a few forced him to stop to fight. Uneven grounds or steep cliffs kept him from simply finding a way around them.

He found the trader's fort at couple hours before noon, at least by the position of the sun. Surprisingly, there seemed to be a number of refugees from Hyrule. Perhaps they thought that this place was far enough away to be peaceful. They were working on the buildings inside the fort from his view behind the bars at the gate. There was damage on the outside of the walls too: cuts from bladed weapons, splintered bashes from clubs, blacked marks from magic. From that, he could tell monsters had tried to attack and failed.

The guards were quick to meet with him. "Where'd you get that horse?"

Figuring the horse would be intimidating to the refugees, Link dismounted to dismiss him. "It's a summon spirit I got by defeating it. I'm traveling to the northern land in pursuit of a dragon; may I come in?"

"You don't seem like the magic sort," the guard said, relaxing some but still being cautious.

"I'm not," he said. "Someone helped me."

"Well keep your summons and weapons away while you're inside," the guard said, going to the side to life the smaller gate.

"I will," Link said.

"It is surprising to see someone traveling on their own in these days," the other guard said. "Most everyone came here to hide from the large red dragon that's been roaming Hyrule Field."

"I've defeated that one," Link said, holding up the Septdraco for them to see.

"If you have, then you certainly have nothing to fear on your own," the guard said, impressed. "Let the traders know and we might be able to get the refugees back home if there's only normal monsters on the road."

"I never thought we'd be grateful there were just normal monsters on the road," the first guard said.

"The knights and soldiers should be able to protect the roads now," Link said, coming through the gatehouse so they could close up again. "I'd still be careful with civilians."

Some of the traders didn't want to take only his word on it, saying that they'd exchange messages with those in central Hyrule soon. But on asking about their wares, he found out that they didn't have any cold weather gear to sell. It was understandable as it was early summer for the rest of Hyrule. One of them did have a larger quiver for a reasonable price, including a discount for trading in his old one in exchange. Although the armors he was getting off the Septdraco dragons meant he didn't need light arrows as much, it was still handy to have more arrows available to take out other monsters with.

There was a general store in the fort too. As it was permanent here, they did keep cold weather gear in stock year-round. "You don't seem like one of the refugees out there," the shopkeeper said after greeting him. "Not with gear like that, especially two swords."

"I just arrived, on the trail of the Great Wyrm," Link said.

"Isn't that the dragon that can cause earthquakes?" the shopkeeper asked curiously. When he nodded, she went on to say, "It's been by here for sure, that's why we've got to fix up the fort now. I actually spotted it myself with some binoculars. It was just enormous, kind of like a centipede with its segments except it was slugging through the mountains like a snake past blades of grass. You'll need some guts to go up against that beast."

Shrugging, he said, "It's not going to be as bad as it looks. I'm more in need of gear to fight up there in the cold."

"Well we've got you covered well there," she said, waving towards the display of coats and other heavy clothing. "Though, how good are your boots? They look like a horseman's type."

"Right," he said. "They got me through the desert, though ice can be a problem."

She came out from behind the counter. "Here, how about you try these boot grips we have? They're made by the northern folks to get across snow and ice equally well. If those boots can keep your feet warm enough, the grips will make it so you don't have to buy new ones just for the ice."

"That would help," Link said, checking on the grips she showed him. He knew his boots were comfortable enough at most temperatures, so he wasn't worried about them in the cold. But making sure he had good traction in icy conditions would help. He bought those along with a new riding coat, hat, gloves, and leggings. The shopkeeper advised him to see the local blacksmith about getting horseshoes to take the northern fields better as well. If he still had Epona with him, he would see to that too.

When he went to leave after an early lunch, the guard offered him a map of the trade road. "There's shelters at regular intervals so travelers can take care of wagons and steeds. Anyone's free to camp at them, just make sure to clean up after yourself."

"Right, I stayed over at shelter S7 last night," Link said, checking on the map.

"S7?" he asked in shock. "But that distance..."

"You saw my horse, right?" Link asked.

"Well you would need an unnatural horse to do that," the guard agreed. "Most people take two to four days on this road. You might be able to make Atris today."

He folded up the map and put it away in his bag. There looked to be a few smaller trails off the main one, although he didn't anticipate getting lost. "I just have to make sure to be somewhere before it gets dark, right?"

"Right, good thing you know. If you don't quite make it, the Rabbit Inn in Atris is more lenient about taking in travelers shortly after sunset. Otherwise, you're out in the cold on your own."

"All right, thanks for everything," Link said. He already had his coat and other gear for the cold on, so hurried on northward.

Having a supernatural horse helped again when the snowbanks appeared and the mountain trails got patches of ice over them. Balrog just did not care what the land below his hooves was like and kept on going as he always did. And his natural shield helped as well. Link didn't have to worry about getting piercing cold air rushing right at his face and could take the time to look over the landscape below the mountain road. While he'd seen such places in his dreams, there was a thrill to seeing another land far different from what he'd grown up in around Taven. For a little while, all these trials he was going through seemed far off.

The unnamed northern region was a vast spread of white from high in the mountains, with glistening spires stretching up incredibly high. Over it all, the sky was full of thick gray clouds in one part, but then clear and bright blue on another. It was like a wool blanket was spread over the land that the local goddess wanted to keep cold. Perhaps that was the purpose behind the tall spires. But where was the Great Wyrm? If it was so massive, he should be able to see it among all that white.

As he came down, he spotted the town of Atris at the end of the road. Bubbles of white buildings stuck out of the snow, unlike the usual rectangular buildings he knew. The sun was sinking towards the horizon, but he still had three hours to go. As he came down, he saw others staring at his black horse with blue flaming hair. Did they think he was a threat? He wouldn't blame them if they did.

Most of those in his sight were short people, wearing large fur-lined cloaks that covered them head to toe. But there was one approaching the road dressed in hefty armor covered in a wolf pelt. Link brought Balrog to a halt before entering the town itself and waved to the warrior to at least indicate that he didn't have his weapons drawn.

The warrior didn't seem concerned and waved back. He had a battle axe at his side. "Hey there, odd time to get a traveler this way."

Link nodded. "I have a special horse here. I'm looking for a dragon that's come here recently, the Great Wyrm. Have you seen it?"

"A dragon?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "There's been a lotta earthquakes the past week."

"That'd be it. Have you seen it?"

"Not myself, but I went looking," he said. "There's been rumors that a few women saw the mountains crawling around before all the earthquakes started. The people over in Ilara have been talking of strange things too, particularly a moving hill. You could reach their town tomorrow, it's on the coast."

Recalling how the lay of the land was, Link felt like pressing on. "The coast? My horse could make it that far by tonight. And that dragon needs to go as soon as possible since it could create earthquakes across the continent if it digs itself in."

"And you mean to go up against that?" the warrior asked, impressed.

"Yes, it must be done."

"I hope the goddesses are with you on that mission. Who are you and where're you from?"

"I'm Link Verden, from the forest town of Taven."

"Good, well don't be taking your time here if you mean to get over to Ilara. Just be careful, they don't get to talk to southerners much." He then gave more specific directions to reach the other town.

While it was getting late when he set out for Ilara, the snowy lands were small and Balrog easily made it across to the coast where the tiny village was. There was no inn, but it turned out to have a tavern where everyone in town gathered for dinner. The villagers weren't sure what to make of a stranger joining them at first, but once he said that he was there to kill the Great Wyrm, they gladly accepted him and offered him a bowl of the soup they'd made that day. It didn't have any meat in it aside from the beefy broth, but it was a tasty winter soup.

They gave him plenty of good information on the Wyrm too. "It's got itself all blended into the snow already," one man said. "Did you get a look at the big lump of a hill to the southwest of here? That ain't supposed to be there."

"The little one next to it is part of the Wyrm too," another said. "And it's got to be the head cause it moves about from day to day. Sometimes you feel the ground rumblin' a bit at night as its digging around, then it'll twitch or something and everything gets shaken topsy-turvey."

"It'll probably shake a lot when I go to fight it tomorrow, so be ready for that," Link said.

"That's fine as long as you do get rid of it and the ground stops being all a quiver," a woman said.

As Ilara didn't have an inn, he was offered an empty home for the night. The elder and her daughter even came over to help him start up the fire and make sure the water was running. "Just don't be going out once it gets dark, cause that's trouble," the elder said. "And don't come out til the dawn; nobody does that around here. It gets so cold out there that your blood will freeze solid if you try going out without the sun."

While Link wasn't sure if it could really get that cold, he didn't want to offend the locals. "All right, I'll do that."

But even before they'd left, Link decided to let Gale come over. Especially if everyone did keep to the night-time superstition; there'd be no disruptions to them tonight. He wrote a letter to let him know.

When Gale appeared in the underground house, he was smiling and had brought over some cocoa. "I figured if you're going to be in a cold snowy place for the night, you might as well make the best of it."

"Right," Link said, smiling back. He'd put the Septdraco in his bag and hid that in one of the closets, as he didn't want the dragons disrupting them. "It is a beautiful place by day, though I don't think I could stand to live in the snow all year round."

"And you seem to be in better spirits tonight." He came closer and took his arm.

"You do too."

"Well you called on me, so of course I'm happy." There was something to his tone that didn't strike Link as being right; it made him think of the last letter and the warning to be careful. "The fire in town also burned itself out for the most part, so I didn't have to be paying that constant heed. Perhaps it won't make much sense to you, but it is nice to have the town at least gone. It's been around for far too long. It's just a pity that what you pointed out was likely true, about the cycle of legend continuing even with Zelda's death."

Not wanting to think about her now, Link asked, "Does wanting the town to be gone have to do with your past memories?"

"Somewhat," he said. "I could tell you over the cocoa."

"Oh, sure, I saw a kettle here." He went to the kitchen area to get hot water and some mugs.

Gale followed him and decided to tell him while the kettle was going. "Do you know how long that town has been there?"

The lands changed, the other towns came and faded, but Hyrule Castle and its town changed little. "I feel like it's always been there, for many generations."

"That's right," he said, leaning against a counter. "It's been destroyed a few times, mostly by me. But it always is rebuilt there. There are many reasons for that, but they all tie back to Hyrule being a spoiled child."

"Really?" That was an odd way to put it, a view he'd not heard before.

Gale nodded. "You yourself said that this northern land was beautiful but harsh. The trade road is as good as it is because these people rely on goods from the south to survive, especially in the many foods they cannot raise here in the snow. Similarly, Sudai can be a beautiful land. It's blessed with rich earth, renewed by the spring floods of the river. At the same time, the water is a great hazard. The dampness makes it a good environment for rot, leeches, and mosquitoes. Disease is a great factor and we have to import medicines to combat it, among other necessities."

He spoke like he had great fondness for Sudai. If Demise was aware alongside Gale, the demon would use that against him. Was that why it had two of the dragons in it? The Sulfur Dragon was supposed to be roaming, but Prism was in a place important to Link. He wouldn't put it past Demise to have subtly sent both Sulfur and Rotting to Sudai.

Gale had his eyes closed now, remembering. "One time long ago, the Gerudo Desert was the same. It wasn't a cursed place of death, but a beautiful place with oasis after oasis leading towards the great Spirit Temple. There was a wealth of jewels and useful metals in that area, including gold. Still, we were lacking. Much of the land was dry and poor for agriculture. And with the great sandstorms and cyclones that could arise, an increase in wind could be a prelude to death. As you keep traveling the outer provinces, you'll find this pattern repeated. Many lands have a special beauty and small wealth, but there's always something lacking or a danger to all who live there."

Was it the same for Taven? Or were they close enough to the traditional Hylian lands to be different? Link was pretty sure that his hometown was a core part of Hyrule in part because of the forest guardian being in his dreams of older eras of Hyrule.

"But Hyrule is overflowing with blessings. Divine power resides there, filling the lands with life and power. Their farms are so productive that they only have to use a small portion of their territory to have feed everyone there; they have plenty to trade to regions that are wanting like this place. While it does house a place called Death Moutnain, it's a volcano that's actually not that dangerous. They've tamed it easily for energy and constantly bring out metals and gems that cover their other needs. There's plenty of clean water and the winds are gentle. Is it any wonder that other lands get jealous and want to take those blessings for their own?"

"No," Link said.

Gale grumbled and shook his head. "Looking on history, it becomes clear that it's foolish to try. But I was chosen by a Hylian power, so I keep trying. Someday, this cycle will end and the world can move on."

"We could do what we want then, wherever we want to be," Link said.

He did smile at that. "Heh, that would be nice. I don't recall anything like the trains you mentioned."

That was because it was from a branch of time that had killed off Ganon's soul and left Hyrule to drown in its mistakes. "It's still out there, I'm sure," he said.

"Maybe we could find it."

* * *

"This cocoa is really good," Link said. It was a mundane thing to say, trying to stimulate more talk. From the way his eyes wandered, he was trying to stave off other desires.

"I had to bring you the best," Ganon said. Giving him some information was fine, enough to open his eyes to other ways of seeing things. He just couldn't give Link any information that would let him regain control.

Smiling with a glint of joy in his eyes, his will to resist was waning. At some point, this had seemed frivolous. Love was something that could be used against people. Link looked over at him, knowing what he wanted this time. And he was still trying to hold himself back. "It seems extravagant, though. I've only had hot cocoa on special occasions during the winter, and nothing like this."

He could simply force his way now, take his clothes and not give him the option to back out. Link might even accept that in his current mood. Yet watching him slowly let himself be corrupted, getting to the point where he might beg for it, that would be more satisfying in the end. "It was something I could have daily if I wanted. Sometimes the small comforts of a noble life are most worth it."

"Maybe, but I don't think I'd want to live that way." He seemed to be getting bored of the topic, or unconsciously looking for an excuse to stop talking.

"Well someone who believes in me like you do is so rare that I'd say you are unique in history," Ganon said, shifting to add fuel to those unconscious desires. "I've never wanted to spoil a lover quite as much as you."

He didn't need words for his response to that.

* * *

Again, for a moment, it seemed like nothing of what was going on mattered. He could forget about it all. Then again, "I shouldn't be up so late. I do have to fight a dragon tomorrow."

Gale still tried to convince him otherwise with his touch. "If you keep taking them out so swiftly, the time we have like this will be even less."

That hurt to hear, but did clear his mind some more. "I'm sorry."

He thought about it, then moved away some. Link wondered if it might be worth it to… no, he had promised the kids to be a hero. "Well let's not talk about things like that. I'll leave you be if you really insist. But before that, how about you sing for me?"

Link felt embarrassed at that question. But for Gale, maybe? He liked his flute playing, maybe more music would help inspire him. But, singing? He was getting comfortable with talking, but he was sure he'd be worse at singing. "Uh, no, I couldn't do that."

Gale tensed a little. "Come on, you have no reason to be shy around me any more, not like this."

"I don't want to sing," Link said. He hadn't even sung for the horses, although sometimes he hummed to calm one down.

"You won't sing?" He almost sounded angry now.

He felt a chill at that, and yet he knew he couldn't make himself do it even if it made him feel ashamed to know it was a silly anxiety. "Sorry, but I don't want to. I won't."

Before he even saw him move, Gale had him pushed against the bed again. But this was not pleasant; it was terrifying from the immense pressure on his chest and neck. "Don't apologize so meekly, just do what I say."

Gasping for a breath overrode everything else in his mind; Link grabbed at Gale's arm and tried to push him away. He could fight back or just run out of this. But it was going to be bitterly cold out there. And even like this, he didn't really want to hurt him. Unable to think of much more, he got hold of Gale's arm in both of his hands. "Please... stop. Don't hurt me, please. Stop this."

He held back a little, staring blankly at him like he wasn't sure what to do. Then his anger was back, his eyes seeming truly demonic. Gale had to be holding back from killing him, right?

The moment of struggle gave Link time to get his thoughts back together. "I wouldn't mind doing what you say. While we're like this, I mean. If they talk about us later, they won't talk about this. They won't know about it; they won't believe it anyhow. That's why I don't care right now what people think about you. It doesn't matter now, so please, don't listen to your dark voices and please don't hurt me. I'm, well I'm still really uncomfortable with singing. I'll play the flute if you want me to, but please don't ask me to sing again."

"You really don't want to be talking about these meetings we have," Gale said, although his threat held no force in it this time. "You'll suffer if you do and it won't all be me."

Link nodded, sitting back up now that he could. "I won't, promise."

"I won't either," he said, lowering his head. "I promise. You shouldn't be the one apologizing. I'm sorry, I lost control there."

"It's all right," he said, reaching over to him. He was shaking, a different person from the one who came in. "Don't worry about it. I've been listening to you; listen to me in return and I'm sure we can work things out."

"I hope so, for your sake."

* * *

In the morning, Gale was gone again. Link noticed that he'd cleaned up the guest house, not leaving a trace that there'd been a second person there. Good, he wasn't sure how the people of Ilara would think of this and he didn't want to abuse their hospitality. He took a shower before preparing for the day's battle; it helped him to feel better about what had gone on last night. Aside from the one incident, it'd been wonderful. And he'd even apologized for that, so hopefully there wouldn't be anything like that going on again in their private time.

By the time he came out, the sun had been up for an hour and the villagers were already at their daily work. He summoned out Balrog and headed out towards the oddly shaped lump of a hill outside of Ilara. The marking might be harder to find since the Great Wyrm blended in with the snow. But the fact that it wasn't moving gave him more time to search around it.

He looked around the Wyrm; other than the exactness of its shape, it looked just like a snowy hill. When he passed by it, he couldn't even see eyes or the like. There was no reaction to him investigating. Even when he got closer, it didn't move. Link put his right hand near it and noticed that a ring was trying to turn blue. This was a dragon and he had to rouse it out of this slumber.

Well, he did have to keep his word. He took Balrog out to a good position near the head of the Great Wyrm, dismounted to dismiss him, and then checked on the Septdraco. This was a terrifying power. Even so, he pulled out the red ring to summon the Clockwork Dragon. "Let's wake it up."

"I could pulverize Wyrm, but fine," Clockwork said, making the air around him glow red. This armor was unusual in form, having thin plates between hefty braces like a harness. The boots were heavy and large, reminding him of those used to sink in water. However, there was something heavier on the back of this armor. The odd structure focused on keeping that steady and supported. "You won't have as many cannon shafts as I do, but it'll still overwhelm anyone."

Feeling grateful that Gale had lost control of the dragons hearing that, Link mentally ordered the dragon to fire on the fake hill. A swarm of flaming rocks flew upwards to rain over the slumbering dragon, accompanied by the following barrage of magic beams. The Great Wyrm roared, rearing back and making the earth tear apart around it. Now that it was was alert, its scales turned a muddy blue. It opened white eyes and looked down at him amid the falling dirt and snow. And its seal marking still wasn't visible.

Link dismissed the armor so it didn't hinder him and got on Balrog to gallop around. The Great Wyrm moved slowly, not able to twist fast enough to keep an eye on him. Around back, he finally spotted the seal on its back just below its head. It wasn't something he could reach easily with his sword. But with it moving slowly, it was easily enough to shoot with a light arrow. It screamed, causing another brief earthquake.

Not bothered by the earthquake because Balrog wasn't, Link braced himself as blue magic surrounded him and pulled him into another realm.

* * *

"Good morning, Princess Zelda," the one-armed Zora said, bowing to her. In an acknowledgment of human society, he came wearing a white vest and black shorts.

"Good morning, Captain Rosso," she said, smiling and giving him a curtsey. "Thank you for coming promptly."

"I couldn't have come this soon if it wasn't for your shadow mage crossing the distance with magic," Rosso said. Seemingly satisfied with polite niceties given, he gave her a stern look. "Although no one in our community can believe that you'd charge Link with treason. Why do so?"

She had already spoken with a few of the other sages about this; Gregio had been particularly hard to convince about the matter. "Link has been fooled into siding with Ganon, on a hopeless cause of trying to save his soul. I don't mind speaking with you and a few others about it, but we are trying not to let things get inflated with rumors."

Unconvinced, he shook his head. "There were rumors from the moment you released that charge. Yet he's recently managed to take out that clockwork terror that's been threatening us with the Master Sword. Are you certain that he's sided with Ganon?"

"Yes, he's been seduced and is becoming more selfish than a hero should be. I would like to offer him a second chance and save him from a bad position. But he won't listen to me." A hero should be even more ideal than a knight, fighting to protect others and restore peace. Although, the knights of Hyrule under her father had been less than ideal. And she couldn't explain how he could be in love with Ganon and still be accepted by the sword. It made no sense.

"I don't think calling for him to be arrested is going to help him listen to you any better," Rosso said. "If he is being foolish, I wouldn't mind talking him out of it."

"One of the other sages knows him very well, so we're trying to get the two of them to talk," Zelda explained. "Another voice of reason might help. But that comes later. Once the last of the sages arrives here, we're going to talk about sealing Ganon away so he's no longer a threat to everyone."

"I could wait, but I'd rather state up front that I don't think that will work," he said, not wavering in that belief.

She had heard that this Zora was blunt in manners, but this surprised her. "What makes you think that?"

"Because it never works. His past incarnations have been sealed away, but they're always broken out at a later time. One group had the audacity to seal him into another world even, but that just made their world and later ours a nightmare. If this is simply a temporary measure to give us time to work out permanent means of destroying Ganon, then I might go along with that. But we had best not let up our guard after he is gone and simply leave the problem to future generations."

"Of course not," Zelda said. She had some ideas about how to do that.

"I don't think any of us wish to be ones who continue to mess things up," Rosso said.


	20. Realm of Sin III

**Chapter 20: Realm of Sin III**

This realm was a calming blue, but unnaturally so. The sky and pond were various shades of blue, as were the grass, the trees, and the ground. It didn't look like the northern lands at all; Link wouldn't be surprised to find this was somewhere in the forests of Taven. If it was in natural colors, it might even be a good place to relax for a few hours. The stone basin for the soul flame was seemingly the only man-made thing here.

"Hey, you wanna do some fishing?" someone nearby asked. It turned out to be a suit of armor with no one inside. From the muddy blue coloring and the hefty plates on it, it seemed like it might be the Great Wyrm's summoned form.

It might even be the Great Wyrm. Keeping that in mind, Link said, "That could be nice, but I've got to look for the soul flame."

The armor made a slight shift like shaking its head. "Ah, you don't want to be doing that, buddy. It'll be a real pain in the neck, I tell ya. Come on, we can chill out here, especially since it's warmer than the outside. There ain't nobody to bother us, and the danger's out of the real world, right? So we can sit and chat and maybe get a fish or two. It'll be fun."

While he did miss those relaxing days of just fishing, he had things to do. "Sorry, maybe later. I need to get that flame."

"Well do you really need it?" the armor asked. "Heck, do you even need to be doing all this stuff about legends and whatever? Nobody's forcing you to do it, and it's a really stressful situation, am I right? Going to and fro, fighting stuff that no one else will even if it doesn't pose any threat to you; leave it to those here, since it should matter enough to them to take care of things."

There was a wish that he could just pass on all this. He probably could, but Link knew that he'd feel terrible for doing so. "It matters to me," he said. "Where is the soul flame?"

"I said it was going to be a huge pain and it will be," it said, pointing behind Link. "Because it's in that long and complicated dungeon down there. There's lots of small rooms and doors to get lost with. With a number of those doors, they're locked or sealed in a way that means you could trek clear across the dungeon to open them up. There won't be any indication of which is the right way. Oh, and there's teleporters, and pits full of spikes, and teleporters in pits full of spikes. So you could attempt that awful mess, or you could stick around with me for some fishing. That's an easy choice to make, isn't it?"

While it did sound like a horrible pain in the neck, it was indeed an easy choice. "It might be awful, but I'm still going after it."

"Aw, come on, please stick with me? It'll be lonely fishing all by myself."

"I never thought so," Link said. Some days, fishing was a nice piece of solitude compared to the orphanage.

"Well fine, but you're free to come back to fish if you don't like the dungeon," the armor said, bringing out a fishing pole. "I just hope the voice of your doubts doesn't wreck the peace too much; I'd rather not deal with spirits like that."

The voice of his doubts… was that his shadow self? Now that he thought about it, the last battle he'd had with it hadn't been as tough. That was after the Triforce had appeared to him and he was more confident in what he was doing. Perhaps putting it to rest would do him good this time. Link nodded to what the armor said, then turned to check out the dungeon entrance.

Before long, something stood out to him strongly. This little clearing rose up right before the staircase that descended down to the dungeon. However, there was no ground covering up the maze of small rooms below. The land simply ended, leaving an expanse of flat blue fog. There were strange things out in that fog: a leafy branch unattached to a tree, an exact square of disjointed bricks, the eye of a creature with only some surrounding skin, and more. With nothing whole out there, the landscape became fragments of things in a dream-like collage.

There were walls to every room, although only a few had ceilings as well. Nothing would block his way to finding the soul flame if he could cross the top, save for finding it and getting around whatever might be in the room with it. By doing that, he could still solve the problem this dungeon presented with what it offered. Link took the first section of wall carefully to get a feel for the balance here. It was wide enough for him to put a single foot down on. Although he doubted it would be early on, he went to the first ceiling portion to look down in the rooms. There was a hole there he could check on the closed in room, thankfully.

No soul flame there. A couple of rows ahead, there was a cluster of roofs that were side to side or corner to corner. That would cover most of the central area and some of the right edge. Link crossed the walls to reach the nearest one. As he stepped off the wall, there was a flash from the shadow's charm. It emerged from the roof he was currently on. "You shouldn't cheat your way out of a challenge, especially not in this realm," the shadow said.

"The goal for this place is to get the soul flame to the torch," Link said. "Overcoming whatever challenges the dragons present. That's what I'm doing."

It drew its dark sword and readied for battle. "You're just making excuses like everything else. Get back on track; finish this dungeon to become stronger so you can properly defeat the villain."

"I'll do things in my own way," he said, drawing the Master Sword in order to match it.

Due to where they were, Link moved towards the center of the roof piece he was on. He needed to be aware of where he was. His shadow took the first strike, which Link was able to block due to fighting him several times. Knowing it was really aggressive, he kept defensive with his shield and looked for chances to counter. It wasn't a normal being, so it kept up its assault for longer than a human could. It also kept pressing him towards the edge; a few sidesteps kept him safe.

Once it relented, he struck through its sword arm. The area frayed severely for a moment like scattered smoke. Also like smoke, it gathered itself back together. It had done the same in the last fight, but then he'd gotten careless with it. A couple more tries could show if that was useless and he needed another tactic.

It took those couple of tries to see that he was at a stalemate in this battle. He was limited with these roofs, as falling into one of the dungeon rooms would put him in a lot more trouble. Yet since he was more used to it, he could counter what the shadow used against him. It wasn't trying anything new, even in its attempts to shame him. Perhaps one of his items, or the dragon armors? Clockwork needed him to stay in place, making it not good against this shadow that moved fast and struck hard. Sulfur had flight capabilities and might work with energy draining, and he wasn't sure what Prism did other than the little dragon's insistence that it was no good for battle.

An annoyed roar from back towards the pond area surprised both of them, as did the rock hurtling right for the shadow. "Will you two quit…?!"

When the rock struck, the shadow's whole form got loose. There was a black heart pulsing within a golden cage, like an evil version of something familiar. Link stabbed it through without a second thought, causing the shadow to shriek in pain.

"...fighting out there and disturbing my peace?!" the dragon finished, staying by the shore. "Keep the fighting to the dungeon if you have to. Sheesh, the lengths I have to go to in order to get a decent restful day."

The shadow was trying to reform even as its heart container crumbled. "You, you can't be rid of me that easily," it struggled to say. Its form then loosened, seemingly to give it more energy to talk. "I am your curse and your fate. You will fulfill your role in this cycle of legends. If I must take more extreme measures to put you back on your proper path, I will."

"For being so concerned about the legends, you don't seem like something from the goddesses," Link said.

"Whoever said that I was?" The container was gone and the shadows faded away. "This cycle will never end until the one who should have won conquers you all. If you really want this to end, give up. Otherwise, fulfill your role and don't complain."

While Link wondered about what it said, he was still in this realm controlled by the Great Wyrm. He started checking the rooms below to find the soul flame. How much time did he have left? However much that was, he was saving some time staying up top even with the disruption from his shadow. The monsters and traps below looked scattered without any real thought, time wasters more than real threats. Some spikes would be near a conveyor belt but not at the end, while another room had patrolling stalfos with overlapping routes and an obvious unguarded path.

The room with the soul flame was oddly plain compared to the chaos surrounding it. There was a raised platform where the torch was lying in a basin matching the one back at the entrance seal. And there was nothing to stop him from dropping down, taking the torch, then jumping back out with the Roc's feather. Although when he first touched it, the forgiving feel of it reminded him of a time the orphanage headmistress had talked to him about chores. "You slip out of mundane chores you don't like more often than you should, but you always step up when the other children would be in danger. I thank you for that, but don't relax too much."

He liked to think he'd gotten better about that. Or at least he'd chosen to do chores that he didn't mind doing daily. While he did like relaxing days of fishing or napping out in the forest, this was not the time for that. He brought the soul flame back to the entrance and lit the basin there.

"Well that wasn't how you were meant to do that," the armor said, turning into smoke that reformed into the Great Wyrm itself. With odd consideration, the dragon then shrank itself to a more conventional size. "But if the flame didn't burn you, then you did put thought and effort into that plan. Fine, all I wanted to do was snooze out in the warm sun."

"In this region of cold and snow?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Wyrm shook its head. "Meh, I was sort of given orders to come out here. And even if he failed as our summoner, that guy did manage to compel some of us with destinations. I would've made due. Anyhow, I, the Great Wyrm born of sloth, submit my will to you. I will," it sighed, "I will do as you ask, though I'd really rather not do anything. People think when you're as big as I am that you're strong enough to do anything, even move a mountain. Well I could, but can you imagine the effort that takes? Bah. It takes so much effort for me to even move and then people get so mad about the quakes."

That made sense of what he'd seen here, except the appearance of his shadow self. "I see. Thank you for helping out with the shadow. That let me beat him, I think."

"What, you mean that actually did something?" the Wyrm asked, confused. "I was just throwing that to make you two see how much that annoyed me."

Link smiled at that. "It disrupted him enough to expose the core of that magic."

The Wyrm cringed as if the thought of helping like that was appalling. By then, the distorted realm had shifted over to the odd silent temple he'd spoken to Sulfur in as well. "That was an accident. Don't expect any more such volunteering from me. Though, you don't seem too sure about having defeated it."

Bringing up his right wrist, he saw that the summoning chain only had one charm on it now. "It's gone from this. But the last things it said bother me. It's always been pushing me into a specific role, and it said to give up entirely if I don't want it."

"Of course it would say that." The Wyrm moved its forelimbs like it was trying to emphasize that. The limbs were so comically tiny on the large beast that it was almost enough to laugh at. "I could tell you more about that, if you want. I love to gossip about stuff, far easier than actually doing stuff."

It might try to lie to him, but Link felt it might be worth listening to. "Sure, that could help."

The Wyrm nodded. "Good! If I can serve you as my master just by chatting, that's perfect! Besides, my summon form is even less mobile than that gear-headed jerk's, even if it would make you near invulnerable. Anyhow, about that shadow, I said it was manifested from your doubts and that's only about half true. It is true, but really, it's from an ancient curse on your heritage as the chosen knight of the goddess, or something to that effect."

"That's the one from Demise?" he asked. That image was vivid in his mind, a bestial man with flaming hair and vain eyes.

"So that you'd never escape him after the first incarnation of the legend humiliated him with defeat. See, demons tend to be really vain and don't take losing well, and that one was their king so he'd be a billion times worse about it. Demise was supposed to be defeated by the power of the Triforce and it would have worked except that due to time travel, it was possible to undo that defeat. The demon king was sealed into one spot before that. After that first cycle of these legends, though, his soul was passed on in several pieces. The main piece has reincarnated into the conglomerate being known as Ganon in these days, but part of it was sealed within the sword on your back, and other parts of it were planted into the very souls of the pair who led to his defeat: Zelda and Link."

Link put his hand on his chest. "So that shadow was that part of Demise passed onto me."

"Awful legacy to be born with, if you ask me," the Great Wyrm said. "When there's conflict within the world, especially at times when the peoples start trying to advance, the pieces of Demise awaken to mess everything up again. I'd almost say it was a genius ploy to make up for his initial loss, but he manipulates everyone into his cycle, even us who should've never been involved in his cycle of destruction." It shook its head. "But here we are, being used for yet another cycle of this. He doesn't even change things up that much; nearly every cycle is some echo of the first. It's so infuriating."

"How did you get involved? I don't recall hearing the story behind your artifact." He'd heard that it was held by Hyrule Castle, true, but nothing before the scheme to cause a war.

"It's an atypical legend, so it doesn't get told much as far as I'm aware. Though, it's kind of odd that it didn't get a popularity boost to prepare grounds for this cycle. But maybe it did. Anyhow, we were created by a brilliant but shortsighted sorceress who thought that she could make the world better by drawing sin out of people and creating monsters with it. The whole idea was that they'd then become untouched by sin and the sin-born monsters could be trapped in a dungeon away from the world."

"That sounds childish," Link said. He felt a yawn trying to come out and held it back. Perhaps he had done too much in these few days since escaping the tower. If he was wearing out before noon, it might be worth it to take a break.

"Well she was a child then," the Great Wyrm said. "It was pretty much a disaster even when it seemed to be working. The trouble was that she didn't realize how prevalent sin was. While a neighbor might seem nice and good, they could have a secret shame that tarnishes their soul. Plus sin is often subjective; what one person sees as horrible, another may see as mundane and perhaps even necessary. There are some objective sins, things that undermine a person's thoughts and behaviors to make them much worse.

"And when her plan did work, all the people in her hometown lost their brilliance. A loving and faithful couple turned blandly cheerful, not any happier with each other than they were with anyone else. Artists and artisans lost their creative spark. And you recall that Sulfur was born of cowardice, right? A few people lost their lives because they had lost all caution around the ordinary monsters in the countryside. Sure, people may think sin is always bad, but perfectly normal and healthy emotions can act as fuel for what is called sin. Her work to extract all capacity for sin from a person took away those emotions as well.

"Not only that, but we who were born from those extracted sins kept growing in power, eventually becoming the dragons you see us as now. We could easily escape the dungeon at that point. The sorceress then created the Septdraco to control us, hiring heroes to help. Of course, we weren't happy being recalled and given this honking huge weak point you've been taking advantage of. Thorn and Rotting eventually got control over her, but that's when things went horribly wrong."

"For you, you mean," Link said. His eyes drooped a bit, but he made himself keep alert to listen. After this…

The Great Wyrm snorted. "For everyone, I mean, because Demise snuck into her consciousness and warped her soul to his will. It was kind of impressive, but then we had put in the cracks that let that happen. He guided her into completely demolishing her country. As you might guess from our creation, magic had been studied and expanded strongly there, too much advancement for that demon. Then Demise sent us into Hyrule to snatch the Triforce for him, wreaking them in the process. But then a hero cut us down. Not one of your lineage, mind, which is why it's atypical and rarely told."

"What were you planning on doing about Demise?" It could be interesting to know. Although, his mind was feeling hazy, like he was half-asleep. That could be something to worry about.

"Well I'd rather do nothing," it said predictably. "Hmph, you know, I'd rather not be a sin-born dragon at all if I could help it. Too many heroes and even villains challenge dragons due to our reputation. Like just today, it really sucked to get woken up from a nice snowbound nap cause you showed up. If I could just be reborn as an ordinary dragonfly, I think that'd be ideal. Lazy days floating over a pond, basking in the sun, people thinking you ought to be left alone out of being pretty, yeah, that would be wonderful.

"But for this lifetime and this challenge, well it'd be nice if we could do to Demise what was done to us: get him summoned into a really vulnerable body so he can be killed outright. We could bind him with the chains of sin with our life force too for an extra touch, he outta be vulnerable to that. Trouble is, that first cycle legend isn't the only place where time got mucked up. The fragments of the demon king's soul have been scattered across time, to places that have become living worlds in their own right. You could call out the fragments currently active in this land and kill the resulting creature, but there may still be other fragments out there that can slip back in. Though, your generation would probably be safe once you end this cycle unless you also go mucking about with time. So don't be doing that no matter how tempting it may be."

"Right," Link said, feeling a touch of chilly air on his face. It should have focused his mind, but he found himself closing his eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

"Hey look, I got him!"

"No you didn't, lazy twerp. You already submitted to him; you just drained his magic from staying out and talking with him too long."

"Oh."

"And why did you go telling him all that, huh?!"

"Well..."

"Oh right, just because you're too lazy to do anything else."

"If he learns too much about us, he might figure out how to master the artifact. As much as I hate agreeing with hothead too..."

"What was that?!"

"Hee hee, it won't matter guys. He's practically mine already."

"You sure about that? His feelings are growing deeper."

"Maybe, but he's proven vulnerable. At this point, there's not much to do to prove that my will is greater than his."

"He may have resisted me, but he is an introvert who doesn't seek out the situations you do best in."

"I've got a plan in the works, don't worry. He'll have to walk into my traps in his pursuit of the other three."

"Well I personally hate it that you have the best shot at a warrior like him. He should have been mine."

"I thought he should have been mine too, though that was fruitless."

"I guess I could've gotten him if I got into his senses, but meh, effort."

"You would have done better to close in that awful dungeon. And let us design the rooms, not you."

"Huh, me too?"

"Don't be an idiot, you know what causes fear!"

"Uh, ye-yeah. Like you."

"Hey, but guys? I may have a good chance at his soul, but it's a mite problematic right now to have him unconscious out in the snow like this."

"Oh, sorry."

"Well you're the one who's not restricted to this stupid artifact, so scram already!"

"Hee, I was just looking for an apology. I'll go grab somebody from town."

* * *

The largest quake yet hit Ilara when the hero went out to slay the dragon. The kids of town had watched from the outskirts, not allowed to go any further lately. Even so, it was amazing to see the Great Wyrm tear out of its hiding spot and face down the hero they couldn't see. They had seen the bright spells he used, showing that the hero was more than even they had expected. Last night, he had seemed so sure of himself in fighting this dragon. None of them were afraid of him losing because of that. Link was a brave young man, strong too.

Then the dragon vanished into a blue light. They watched for a while to see any other sign of what was going on. "Do dragons die just like that?" one girl asked. "Doesn't seem like they should."

"They shouldn't," another said. She was known as the smartest of the kids and wanted things to stay that way, but even she wasn't sure about that.

"Maybe they get sent to another world just for dragons?" one of the boys asked. He got in trouble at times due to daydreaming a lot, but many in town were hoping he'd get the honor of being picked up by a traveling storyteller as an apprentice.

After a bit, some of them went off since nothing was happening and the adults wanted everyone to be working on repairs around town. It got down to one of the girls and the storyteller boy when a flicker of silver appeared not far off in the air. It was followed up by a sparkling array of raindrops even though no other rain appeared. "What is that?" the girl asked.

"That's weird, I didn't think rain did that," the boy said.

She got up and turned back home. "I'm gonna get my dog sled to check it out!"

"Wait, I wanna come!" the boy said, running after her. Her father agreed to let them go, asking them to keep an eye out for Link. After all, he didn't seem like the type to leave without making sure the town was fine after the large quake.

The sparkling air was still there when they got the dogs hitched up to the sled. But once they started riding out to it, it drifted away from them. It led them towards the place where the Great Wyrm had been spending its time; snow was now scattered in uneven lumps around a spiral imprint. Since the dragon wasn't there and they were also looking for Link, they kept going. It did eventually stop, right over where a gray figure was collapsed in the snow. It turned into an oddly small silver dragon with a sparkling orb held in its tail. After a short cheery call, the dragon turned into sparkles and retreated to the glove on Link's right hand.

"What happened to him?" the boy asked as they got off the sled. "I thought he won."

"Maybe he barely won," the girl said. But checking him over, he didn't seem to be wounded. She tugged at his shoulder. "Hey mister? You can't be sleeping out here."

He didn't respond at all, but he was still breathing. "Can your dogs take him back to town in the sled? The witch can take care of him."

"Of course, I have great dogs," she said. "But it might be too much even for them to have him and both of us."

Since she was the one who could drive the dogs, the boy had to run back to town alongside the dogsled. It was a long ways, but he wouldn't let himself seem tired from it all. The white witch of Ilara was at the edge of town, like she knew she had to meet them there. "Hey Granny!" he called out, waving a hand.

"Well now, what have you two been up to?" she asked.

"We went chasing some weird lights, but then we found that Link guy out in the snow," the girl said, slowing her sled by her. "His horse wasn't anywhere and he hasn't stirred at all."

"That was a spirit horse, of course you won't find it," the witch said, crouching down to check on his face. "Hmm, seems he was trying to command magic greater than he's capable of at the moment. Won't take much to take care of. Let's bring him back to the guest house, he'll need a good rest."

The girl had to leave to put the dogs and sled up, but the boy stuck around to help the witch take care of the hero. Link did wake up shortly after being brought inside, though he seemed tired. "I got the dragon," he said, tapping the blue ring on his artifact glove. Then he touched the silver ring. "And you two would've seen the Prism Dragon. I don't remember doing magic except for summoning Clockwork; I just fell asleep while talking with the Great Wyrm in… the other realm."

"That may be what the problem was," the witch said. "Once a spirit like that accepts you as its master, it takes some of your energy to maintain a physical form and do any actions. That horse doesn't require much noticeable since it's got the chain supporting it, but those dragons will cost you greatly. Also, did you take a bad head injury sometime in the past year?"

"Yes, about a month and a half ago."

"You're pushing your limits there, what with getting out here and confronting that beast," the witch warned. "I'll give you a magic potion, but you'd best stay here the rest of today and overnight."

"All right, I was considering that," he said.

To make sure he took it easy for the rest of the day, she had the boy keep an eye on him. He was excited for the prospect, since he could hear a hero's story directly from the source. That would look good when he tried to become a storyteller's apprentice. "I was surprised cause heroes are supposed to defeat dragons and not get hurt like that," he said.

Link didn't get mad at that; in fact, he smiled. "Well, even the best of heroes aren't invulnerable. A hero is someone who's willing to stand up against great odds to protect or save others. It doesn't even have to be a big thing; a hero could be just someone who goes out to save someone from drowning, or something like that. The more you put yourself at risk like that, the more times you might walk away with some injury." He patted his arm where a bandage was wrapped up. "Or even not walk away from the battle at all."

He'd thought that heroes were invincible people because they always won in stories. But the more he thought about what Link said, the more it made sense. "Oh. But you still keep fighting because you're a hero, huh?"

"Not quite," he said.

When he didn't explain anymore, the boy leaned over and asked, "Could you tell me about that? Why you fight, and all the adventures you've had? I want to be a storyteller, so I've got to impress one with good stories."

Link didn't seem too sure at first. "Good luck in that. And it wouldn't be a complete story if I told you what I've done. I've still got a lot to do."

"But I could be your first storyteller and it'd be great!"

Chuckling at that, he relaxed. "Perhaps. While I can tell you some things, I can't tell you everything."

"Why not?"

"Well, I have two reasons for being a hero. One is because I'm from an orphanage and I know a lot of other kids who have lost their parents in bad situations. There will be a lot more of us around if this time of darkness keeps strong. I know I'm pushing myself, but I want to make this a less dangerous time so that they can have peaceful lives, and find new families to be with. I promised them. But the other reason is because there's someone I'm in love with."

"Princess Zelda?" he asked, knowing how the Hylian legends went.

He shook his head. "No; she's already going to marry someone else and I don't want to make trouble for them. There's a man I love, a..." he hesitated, his eyes seeming very sad, "it's complicated. I can't tell you much about him, but he's the one I want to save. I can tell you about anything besides him."

"That's fine," the boy said. He wouldn't be wanting to tell romance stories anyhow and his other reason was a good enough motivation for anyone else.

Link's adventure wasn't done yet, but people would surely be talking about it for years to come. The young storyteller listened, knowing that he could someday pass on the whole story to those who had only seen parts of it.


	21. Realm of Sin IV

**Chapter 21: Realm of Sin IV**

Dear Link,

Are you doing better? (Much of the paper is smudged from erasures and cross-outs)

From Gale

Dear Gale,

Not really, but it's nothing I blame you for. I'm sure you weren't in control of yourself then. I'll be more careful not to upset you. Actually, the main reason I'm not well tonight is because I summoned the Clockwork Dragon to defeat the Great Wyrm and then the Wyrm wanted to talk with me for a long time. The white witch here says that keeping the dragons out in their full forms for long is beyond my capacity for magic right now.

This wouldn't be a good night to get together. Not just because I'm resting up from my injuries, but also because they've left a caretaker with me to help out. It's not one you need to be concerned about, just a kid who wants to be a storyteller. I've been telling him about my adventures and some of what I've dreamed about with other heroes. Nothing in detail about us, of course; I just told him that there was someone I loved that I couldn't talk much about.

On another note, I've learned a song when I went back to Taven recently, from the Skull Kid in Trickster's Grotto. He says it's the song of the Marsh Queen, some figure in Sudai associated with flowers. I feel that the song could attract monsters, while he says that it can affect the marsh flowers. Do you know anything about such a song? Sorry if I can't transcribe it; the reason I figured out the Song of Soaring from your letter is because it's one another hero knew. But the Rotting Dragon is in that area, so I'd like to know if the song is useful there.

Love, Link.

Dear Link,

You wouldn't have a formal education with magic, but you do seem to have a pretty good intuition about it. Most of us who use magic frequently know how to check our magic reserves to make sure we don't overdo things. Although at a point, it gets rare that such things are a problem. You might be able to draw such information from your predecessors much like you did with archery. Keep some green-type potions on you to refresh your magic energy; any good potion brewer will tell you what works.

I do know the song of the Marsh Queen. Anyone who wishes to travel into the swamps would do well to know it. Even if I ruled over the land of Sudai, the deep swamp is ruled by a benevolent dragon known as the Marsh Queen. She is fond of flowers and is known to grow some unique varieties. Some adventurous youths will go seeking particular flowers of hers, for medicinal or romantic reasons. However, she has been known to punish those who steal the flowers or ruin her garden, so they often have to do a favor for her to get the one they want.

More important to you, the Marsh Queen transforms certain monsters in her territory. If you run into one that is unusual for having flowers (especially a Deku), that monster is one under her command. She's not strict on those who defeat such monsters, but if you play her song for them, they will not be aggressive to you. If you have the Marsh Queen's favor, such monsters may even fight other monsters for you. The song is a sign of allegiance to her, so it can cause regular monsters in the marshes to attack you instead.

I'll leave you to rest for tonight. But again, I worry about us not having a lot of time together if you keep capturing these dragons. Consider slowing down, for that reason and for your health.

Wish I could see you tonight,

Gale.

* * *

The next morning, Ilara was looking in good shape. The villagers even boasted that you couldn't tell that their snow constructs had been damaged at all. Glad for that, Link said goodbye to a few of them and warped over to Eblan. The priest he questioned there didn't know much about traveling in the swamp. He could give directions to a town actually in the marshlands where people would know more. Trying to avoid the main roads, Link headed off to the town of Reeds.

At the edges of the floodplains, he found the small town. It escaped the river's flood by having raised wooden walkways and houses on stilts. Watery fields for rice surrounded the town, while a few barns and silos could be seen on higher grounds. While some effort was made to have bright colors here and there, many things looked weather-worn and slightly muddy.

The people of Reeds were busy with their daily work when he arrived, but a barkeep at the tavern was willing to talk with him. "How do you go about finding the Marsh Queen?" Link asked.

"Are you searching for a heart lotus?" the barkeeper asked, smiling fondly at some thought.

"No," Link asked. He should try to be more conversational, so he added, "Why ask that?"

"Well you seem to be of the right age for that," he said. "You from Sudai?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm a traveler."

"Ah. Well local folklore has it that giving a heart lotus to the person you love is a sign of forgiveness or regret, that you're serious about your relationship despite faults in yourself or your significant other. Among simple folks like those in this town, it also gets used to ask for marriage since the Queen will make you prove your worth if you try going for the lotus fairly."

That was interesting to know. But did he need such a serious sign? "I see. Actually, I'm searching for the dragons that escaped the Septdraco here." He showed the back of his glove to prove it, causing the barkeeper to go still. "The Rotting Dragon is supposed to be somewhere in the swamps and I was hoping the Marsh Queen could help me locate it."

"Are you that guy?" the barkeeper asked. "Link Verden?"

"Yes," he said, putting his hands on the bar. That would at least show that he didn't mean harm here. Still, he kept ready to flee if needed.

"Well the new king is looking for you." He glanced over at a wall nearby; a group of small portraits hung there. "Then again, I have some family in Eblan and they said you saved the whole town without asking for a reward. They even had to talk you into accepting a free meal and room."

"I'm doing what I feel is right," Link said. "And I didn't want to burden them further."

The barkeeper chuckled. "Sounds like you could be a rare one. All right, I'll help you out. In exchange, I hope you can help the Marsh Queen."

"Is she in trouble?"

He nodded. "There's a place south of here called Flower Manor. It's a bunch of ruins, but it's where we normally find the Marsh Queen and her garden. But when that cursed storm blew through here, the Rotting Dragon invaded the manor and drove the Marsh Queen out. She should be able to fight magic of decay and rot, but it was more powerful than her. We've been nursing her back to health nearby, but the loss of her garden has made her depressed. If you can destroy the Rotting Dragon and undo its decay like you drove off the sickness in Eblan, she'll be able to repair the swamps herself. It'd help us out too, since a line of decaying vegetation has been heading towards our fields."

Then they weren't in danger yet, but could be soon. "All right. May I speak with her if she's around?"

"Sure, do you know her song?" Once Link played it on his pan flute, the barkeeper added, "Play that for her guards and she'll know your soul. She can then tell you how to reach her manor."

As it turned out, the people of Reeds didn't want others, even those from Sudai, to know that the Marsh Queen was ill. They were helping her recover in one of the barns, leaving a pair of men and some Dekus with lotus tops to guard her. "Sorry stranger," one of the men said. "But we don't allow folks not of our town around here."

"I'm here to help the Marsh Queen by taking care of the Rotting Dragon," Link said, tapping his flute against his right hand. "I was told to play her song here."

"You can help her?" one of the flower Dekus asked excitedly, its large yellow petals bouncing as it moved. "Should we let him?"

"Well," the man started to say.

A white flower Deku interrupted him. "You're really here after the bad dragon and not our good queen?"

"Right," Link said.

"You'd better be honest," the yellow flower Deku said. "Or, we'll, um, or she'll get you good! That song is meant for an offering a peace, you'd better not be here in the marshes using it for battling."

"Us," a blue flower Dekus hissed.

"Battling us, right," the yellow one said. "I mean, not battling us. We met in peace, that's what the song means."

Sympathizing with the Dekus in this, Link nodded again. "I understand. I won't fight her allies."

"He can play the song and the queen will know if he's honest," the other man said, trying not to smile at the Dekus.

"Oh, right right!" the white flower Deku said. "Play it, please."

Link nodded and started to play the song. While he did, one of the men went into the barn. The flower Dekus were quick to sway along to the music, so Link repeated the tune a couple of times for their amusement. "Wow, you play that flute really nicely!" the blue one said while bouncing in place.

"I'm glad you liked it," he said, feeling like these Dekus could easily cheer people up.

The door opened back up. "She says to let the hero inside," he said.

"You must be something else to have the queen know you as a hero just on the song!" the yellow Deku said. "Good luck, hero!"

Over this adventure, Link had already seen a wide range of creatures considered dragons. He wasn't sure what to expect of the Marsh Queen. But once he saw her, he could understand why she was called that even with her being in a large barn full of hay dust. She had a body meant more for water than land, with fish-like gills and long fins. Her scales were an emerald green and her tail fin was a bright pink; she might have been unremarkable otherwise if it hadn't been for her vines. Growing all along her back, she was covered in dark marsh grasses, wide lilypads, and many dozens of flowers. She could blend into the marsh unseen and then rise up to the awe of those who saw her.

But not now. Her flowers were wilted or in bud forms, while some patches of the grass seemed like they could fall out. The Queen's golden eyes were alert in spite of that. "I apologize for the poor conditions we've met in. At any other time, I wouldn't mind helping someone with a soul like yours. As it is now, I can't do much."

"It's fine, I came to help you," he said, giving her a bow of respect. "I'm Link and I've come to get the Rotting Dragon, so anything you could tell me about it could be helpful."

After a moment where she seemed to study him, she replied, "Those seven dragons were born of sin. In particular, Rotting was formed by jealousy. Are you confidant in facing your own jealousy?"

"Yes," Link said. It was something he'd dealt with when he was younger, so he never let such feelings bother him for long.

"Then you shouldn't have a problem with it since you bear weapons that can neutralize it. If facing it was simply facing jealousy, I wouldn't have had so much trouble either. But I had no way to activate the seal on its chest and the myriad poisons it exudes overcame me. It was named fittingly as it is ragged flesh and bones held together by magic. Normally, that would make it hard to fight without disrupting that magic."

"I could activate the seal with my sword, but I think I'd rather try the arrows first," he said.

The Marsh Queen nodded. "Also, you may wish to bring some antidote potions with you. There's a witch in town who brews potions, she can help you there. Once that toxic dragon is out of my territory, I should be able to fix up my gardens myself. Perhaps I could return you help sometime in the future."

"Don't worry about it, I'm just working to get these dragons out of our world," Link said. "I've seen what they're capable of and I'd rather no one else be in control of them."

She chuckled at that. "I feel I can trust you in that. And yet, perhaps you can face this one sin with confidence, but what of others? Do you know what the others were born from?"

"Sulfur was born of cowardice," which was helping him overcome what fears he had, "Clockwork was born of wrath," which he felt like had never been a big problem for him, "the Great Wyrm was born of sloth," which was something of a fault in him when it came to mundane matters. Now that there were many things at stake which were important to him, he was having to be talked into taking time to rest. But then what was Prism born from? The little dragon had never mentioned anything like that while the rest had freely stated what they were.

"Hmm. We already spoke of Rotting. The Thorn Dragon was born of pride, Twin Fang was born of greed, and the Prism Dragon was born of lust. What do you think of your chances against those?"

Link wasn't too worried about Thorn and Twin Fang now hearing that; the most trouble would be getting to them. But hearing what Prism was? That made his blood go cold. The dragon said it was cooperating with him willingly. However, he'd not faced a challenge for it, nor had it told him about itself. He wasn't sure how to explain the situation, especially not to a being the locals treated like a guardian deity.

"The two you've not met might not be a problem once you know their locations," the Marsh Queen said, waving her tail slowly. For a moment, she looked uncomfortable being stuck here in the barn. But she seemed to put it out of mind as she spoke to reassure him. "Twin Fang is far off in the bay of Laverre City and you can find the Thorn Dragon on the way, in the Ordonne farmlands south of Taven. How exactly do you have the Prism Dragon?"

"It says it's cooperating with me, but I don't control it," he replied, his face warm with embarrassment as he said it.

"You could work with it temporarily but I wouldn't trust it for long," she said. "Eventually you'll have to challenge it to get it to accept you as a master. You should be sure of yourself when you do. Is there anyone you trust to speak of private matters with?"

As uneasy as it made him, he realized he couldn't trust Gale that much. Anything that Gale knew, Demise would also know. "I wanted to talk with my sword master, Gregio, about," how to say this? "...matters like this. But he wasn't there when I was last in Taven."

"I've heard of him; he used to be a well respected Hylian knight before he defected. The people here in Reeds tell me things and they say he's been called to the castle here to be named a sage of this era."

Then he'd be part of Zelda's plan to stop Gale. "I see." But Gregio was the person he trusted most, and the one person he felt like he could safely talk about this with.

"And I've also heard things, like they're calling you a traitor and you've been interested in learning about our last king." She kept an eye on him, with a look of caring concern. "When I heard you play my song, though, I didn't hear the heart of a traitor. You must have a good reason for doing what you do."

A good reason.. Link rubbed his neck, reminded of the other night. He shouldn't waver and there was good reason to believe in Gale. Yet there were also good reasons not to. "I…"

"You walk a darkened path where it's unclear if you've lost your way," she said. When he nodded, the Marsh Queen went on. "I've seen something like that before, every time that I met young Gale before he was known as Ganon. While we didn't meet much, he did come by occasionally to acknowledge me, as per custom. And one time, he showed up without warning, without any guards either even though he was still a boy. Another town of the marshes had angered me and he came by to ask about healing herbs since they were suffering under illness. Though I wanted an apology, I couldn't remain hardhearted to his plea and allowed him to take what was needed.

"For most people, they saw that kind of thing out of Gale and felt, here's this honorable king who's dong the best he can under bad conditions and he's selflessly looking to make things better for others over himself. He seems so good, right? But I could hear in his song and see in his eyes a darkness deep inside that he was barely aware of. He had the soul of a demon that was fated to crush the human heart he was born with and there was nothing he could do about it. I would have to hear him again to know if any part of his humanity remains."

"I'm not sure if I could, but if I could get him to play your song or something in this town, could you tell?" Link asked.

She nodded. "As long as I'm still here, I could. Give it a try, as I am curious myself. You may even bring him to me if you wish, once the Rotting Dragon is gone. It's something we should be certain of. However, even if there is a good part to him left, I believe you should work to overcome the challenges that the Septdraco presents you with. If you can't overcome that, you won't have a chance at saving Gale. The light of your soul will need to be powerful to truly reach him in his darkness, especially with the two of you being fated to fight.."

"I don't want to fight him, but," he said, his thoughts getting jumbled up. Some of what the Great Wyrm said came back to him. "I thought I chose to be a hero, but maybe I didn't. Why is this happening?"

"It may not be something you can easily grasp as a human," the Marsh Queen said. "Try to think of a world where power replaces morality. In that place, being weak is a sin and will be punished with enslavement or death. Others only matter in terms of what they can do for you, whether it be worshiping a stronger person to be granted some of that power yourself, or giving such small boons to others so that they are your tools and toys, to use and break as you wish. That is a glimpse at the world of the demons, where the monsters of this world often originated."

"It's not a world I'd want to live in," he said.

"And yet you would be seen as great in that world," she said, which disturbed Link. "It was in that way that Demise saw the first hero he faced. But the demon king still saw himself as greater, with his victory inevitable. As courageous as the hero was, with what powers he had gained, he was still a mortal being doomed to grow weak with age and die. Every human would have been wiped out on the grounds of such weakness. Yet Demise lost, killed by the only one he thought was worth any attention.

"Of course, he was furious about it. When you make a mistake and lose, you think over what happened and try to improve what went wrong, right? That's how humans do things, they can accept and understand their faults. Demise thought he was incapable of mistakes. So he tries to understand it, replays the scenario with different factors to find a way he can win. But he can never accept it. From the observations of my lineage, that is most likely why these legends occur again and again. The hero and the villain must fight over the princess and the Triforce because he forces it to be fate, to understand it without accepting his own faults."

"Then he'll unconsciously get us to fight even if he says he doesn't want to?" He closed his eyes, trying to keep calm over this when he wanted to scream about it. Yet some part of him knew that this was fate.

"You poor soul, I wish I could tell you that there is a surefire way to save you both from this. Yet I don't want to lie, so we must settle for what truths and possibilities are there. And I haven't seen him myself in several years, leaving me with much I can't be sure of."

Link looked back at her, certain that she was sad for him now. He stepped closer and rubbed her snout. "Thanks for believing in me at least, that means a lot to me right now." Then he had the thought, she was practically a deity herself without a strong connection to the legends before now. "I do have some ideas for what I could do to save Gale, but I'm not sure how to act on them. Could I tell you what I'm thinking of and ask if you can figure out how to make them work?"

"Of course, I'll do what I can."

Nearly an hour later, Link was heading deeper into the marshlands with Balrog. There was a bitter grassy taste still lingering in his mouth from the herbal tea that the witch in Reeds had him drink. It was meant to boost his body's protection against magical poisons so that he didn't come out of this battle terribly sick. It wasn't much of a bother knowing that.

Along with that protection, he was feeling better about his plans for Gale. The Marsh Queen knew how to make his ideas work and he felt like he could pull it off. There were strong risks to his plan; it could fail if Gale didn't fully trust him, or it could fail so badly that he himself would be crippled worse than the Zora guard Rosso. Or he could get killed, though that seemed not as bad as if Gale got killed and he lived with the honor of a victorious hero. And the whole thing was a foolish venture unless they knew for certain that Gale had some humanity left.

But it could all work. Link felt better knowing that much and was able to enjoy the ride over instead of worry over everything. Much of this area was still flooded from that unnaturally lengthy storm over Hyrule, but he could see the beauty in there that Gale spoke fondly of. Grasses waved under the dark waters, just starting to reach the air again. Majestic trees stood proudly where they were, not letting the current conditions trouble them. On a few higher areas, he spotted deer, rabbits, foxes, and other animals biding their time until the waters returned to normal levels.

The roads were still underwater in most places, but he could see them well enough to follow. Balrog's hooves sizzled against the water rather than squished through like a regular horse. At major crossroads, there were signs pointing the way towards towns, the Marsh Queen's manor, and a few other landmarks. Some of the bird calls he heard were familiar, while others must not travel into the forests.

Then there came a point where the bird calls ended. Balrog showed no nervousness, but the lack of birds was enough to tell Link he was in the right area well before his magical compass chimed and started pointing towards the manor. While the whole marsh had scents that he was unfamiliar with, this area reeked of excrement, rot, and sickness. Link glanced down in trying to think of some way to overcome that when he noticed another oddity: the water was flowing towards the stone ruins where the Marsh Queen should reside. The plants underneath it were all dead, as were vines on the wall ahead. From the browned flowers clinging on, it had been a rapid death.

If all the flowers and plants here were alive, this would be a beautiful place. There were weathered statues, the framework of an old building, and ornate windows with cracked colored panes. While it was called a manor, he wouldn't be surprised if it had been a temple instead. It felt desecrated now that he was here, not through violence but through a disregard for life all the same. Some of the stone paths looked under a few inches of water. However, there were dark areas that could be pits with greater depths. Even if he got the Zora suit on, he didn't think it'd be a good idea to try wading through this himself.

Behind the old manor, he found where all the water was flowing. There was a large sphere of water hanging in the air, drawing more substance into itself. Dark swirls showed an inner turbulence. Looking at it, Link had an eerie feeling about this water. That wasn't mud and debris from the marsh, it was a magical curse of some kind. It reminded him of being in the tower: the days when he was too weak to get up and heard the drone of rain, a dark cell that only the thunder pierced, chains and humiliation and horror… a heady passion that made him forgive all that even though it hurt and he was still hurting…

Link brought his hand to his chest. Could he really challenge Prism like this? He had to; he had a plan and he couldn't falter when it came time to put it into action. Now that he knew what he was facing, most of them didn't cause him worry. But that knowledge made him look over other things in a different light.

A spiteful screech forced him to pay attention right before a mucous glob was hurled at his horse. Even the stoic Balrog screamed over that kind of pain, right before the phantom horse disappeared. Reminded of Epona in that, he grimaced as he got his footing. That was his fault for letting his mind wander in a dangerous place. Link got a bow and arrow in hand as he looked up where the Rotting Dragon was.

The disgusting patchwork creature overhead should not be capable of living. Its wings were darkened bones with limp fragments of violet skin hanging on. Through the missing skin and scales, he saw wrinkled organs and blood-tinged bones. Half of its head was missing entirely. On the largest chunk of anything, which could broadly be called its chest, the white seal marking was stark with how clean it appeared.

This was always the simple part. Having already swapped the enchantment over, he fired a light arrow right into the marking. Either confident or counting on this, the Rotting Dragon didn't even evade it. Sickly green magic moved them over to the silent testing realm to face each other.

On seeing the area he arrived in, Link wondered if this had been how the manor had once looked. The safe zone with the torch basin was in a grand entrance hall that had the extravagant wealth to rival the entrance to Hyrule Castle. These walls were covered in gold, with diamonds glittering in the chandelier overhead. In contrast, his clothes and sidebag were covered in marsh water, mud, and globs of the Rotting Dragon's attack. The white marble busts ahead looked down on him judgmentally, asking him if he really belonged here.

He smiled a little at it, this immense effort at making someone jealous that undercut itself with how hard it tried. He wouldn't want to live in a place like this. Planning on searching this place quickly, he stepped out of the safe zone and entered a hallway. There was so much wealth, and yet no fire. All he had to do was find a white flame and get it back to the start. Most of this could be ignored.

Most. He got paused on seeing a family portrait on the wall of one of the rooms. Standing in a garden of many flowers, they all smiled and kept close. Some portraits like this could be stiff and emotionless. The people here seemed blessed to have each other, wealthy enough to have no worries in how they lived. While he didn't care about the gold on the walls, this painting reminded him of things that had been out of his reach for a long time.

"That's from a highly skilled artist, don't you agree?" a man said from Link's side. He started explaining something about having worked hard to get the commission from such a master; Link couldn't help but notice the man's clothes. While his face and hair marked him as the father in the portrait, his clothes were much like that of the mage guardians from Clockwork's test.

"It is a good painting," Link said out of politeness. There were feelings trying to break out in painful ways, but it would be rash to let them take over. "I'm looking for the soul flame, though. Where is it?"

As he expected, the guardian tried to dismiss it. "Oh, well that's a small little thing, nothing of big importance. And nothing you'd really be interested in. Say, how about you come out back and take a look at my fishing boat? You won't see a finer one around, not in your life."

He chuckled at that, though he did look away from the painting to the guardian. "You're trying so hard, but no, sorry. If the soul flame is of no big importance to you, it won't be a problem for me to take it to it's proper place."

The guardian stared at him for a moment, then smiled with a smugness trying to be friendly. "No, it seems like you're the one trying too hard to deny yourself. Trying to be faultless is a fruitless exorcise that will only leave you feeling unhappy and unfulfilled. Live how you are and strive to get what you want. That will leave you in a better place. And here, I can show you many things you could have. I'm not going to give any of it to you, no, because they're all mine, but you can see more clearly what goals you could have."

"If I considered all the things I don't have," especially from that painting right next to him, "I'd get lost in fruitless unhappiness. I know I can be jealous but I can't let those feelings take over. Besides, I already have a goal and nothing you have could make that any clearer."

Down the hall, he saw a bright flash from one of the rooms. The guardian looked nervous as it did. "Well if you're so sure of yourself, what of the jealousy of others, hmm? That could cause you problems, we could talk about that."

"Who would be jealous of me?" Link asked, brushing the guardian aside.

Oddly enough, it dropped back and didn't trouble him further. He didn't look at much of the room that the flame was in; it was more gaudy pieces of no importance to him. Link picked up the flame fully expecting it to hurt for a moment like the flame from the Great Wyrm's realm. Instead, it quieted the old feelings trying to break out.

And he remembered a time shortly after he moved into the orphanage with over a dozen other kids around Taven. Gregio had caught him crying out in the woods one afternoon and had talked with him a while there. That was back when he still had real defects in his speech, but the old swordsman had been patient while he fumbled around trying to explain himself. Then Gregio had told him something that had stuck with him: all of the other kids there were suffering too. But one could take care of smaller things to make sure that suffering didn't get worse, and eventually they could all find a way to be happy again. Hoping for that, Link had gone back to work on chores and try not to make the others any unhappier. Eventually that led to him taking up a sword to keep the others safe. He didn't fight to hurt others, but to try ending all this nonsense with wars and evil so that the other children could find peace and happiness.

Though if things were that simple, he wouldn't be as troubled as he was.

He got the flame back to its basin and the Rotting Dragon's hateful growl didn't even faze him. "I can't believe we have to answer to a summoner like you."

"Then why are you?" Link asked before he could catch himself.

It clattered its half-jaw. "Our magic compels us to, as such obedience has been woven directly into our very state of being. As such, and as you have passed my trial, I, the Rotting Dragon born of jealousy, submit my will to yours. Though it is clear I never had a chance at your soul. But you'd better watch yourself around Prism. It's nearly conquered you already."

"I won't let it," Link said, although he couldn't say it with as much certainty as he could about Rotting here.

"You may say that, but we already know that your heart questions it," it saw with a perverse delight. It then vanished, sending him back to the normal world.

He really should get with Gregio somehow and prepare himself for that. Before trying to get to his mentor, though, there was the more immediate problem of the muddy and potentially poisonous mess he'd gotten into. Hopefully there was someone back in Reeds who wouldn't mind helping him clean up his clothes and gear from this.

* * *

"We'll discuss that matter later. For now, we'll break for the day and leave you all to study the parts of this ritual individually."

As Rosso watched Zelda leave the room, her lips in a strict line, he wondered how she was keeping the Triforce of Wisdom. There was no doubting that she was clever, nor that she'd been considered wise beyond her years as a child. Most people might miss it in her courtly manners, but he could see a captive anger in her that was swaying her judgment. Things might look clear-cut to most people, with her trying to save Hyrule from the evil that had overtaken it. But how would she be later on?

Rosso put his instructions in his bag before getting up from his seat, but his mind was back on the question that had just been asked. If it hadn't been from the woman from Kakariko, it would have come from him. What did she make of Link being acknowledged as the rightful wielder of the Master Sword? The Triforce of Courage often appeared late, after the hero had proven himself in many trials. But the sword immediately took to him and glowed with a holy light in his hand. Why was she still adamant about him being a traitor with that sign having been witnessed by a number of people by now?

Even as she tried to avoid it, her silence on the issue spoke plenty for her. It wasn't national treason, it was personal. Zelda was now married to someone else, the queen of another country. Yet there was some part of her that was still counting on the hero to be loyal to her. Rosso had seen a lot of conflict in his life, from domestic squabbles to life-or-death battles. Someone in her role should be capable of putting personal issues aside to handle greater problems. She should have the wisdom to see the conflicting signs in these events. However, she wasn't going to let them, the people she had picked out as sages of this era, openly see how much the mention of Link made her angry now.

He was sure that the others had noticed as well; there were good reasons that they had been chosen this generation.

Rosso was the last to leave the room, so he had to look around some to find the person he wanted to talk to. While the others might be concerned, there was only one person here who had better insight into the hero. He spotted Gregio in one of the side rooms talking with a maid. That was odd, but he waited a few moments until she left. "Could we talk about Link since Zelda doesn't want to?" Rosso asked him, coming into the room.

"What do you know of him?" Gregio asked as if mildly curious. But there was a twitch in his eye; he'd defend Link as a substitute father, or simply not speak if it might be trouble.

"I spoke with him on a couple of occasions when he was in my hometown," Rosso said. "I first thought he was like one of those green-tail youths caught up in patriotism or honor, going into battle with ideals not realizing the reality of it. Because I've seen too many never come back after going away with that look, I tried to scare him off what he intended to do. But he had this look in his eyes when I did." He patted his shoulder. "Somehow he knew just as well as I did the dangers and was still going out to fight. I saw nothing in him that struck me as a lovelorn fool, nor someone who could become one, so I'd like to know what's going on."

"I would as well," he said, backing further into the room. "When I met him, I was actually looking for the sword. I knew the legends could become active back then."

"Didn't you leave service years ago?" It would have been when Link and Zelda were still children.

Gregio nodded. "First sign I saw was when Zelda was given only that name and no one else thought it was unusual. Meeting a quiet orphan named Link made it more possible, and then I found the sword." He was troubled to recall it. "It was glowing faintly in spite of poor treatment, but that faded when I touched it. I left it alone and you know what I came out to find? He was wandering around just outside the thief's hoard the sword was in, in something of a daze. A mere week before, a number of kids in that town had lost their parents in a distant battle. All this trouble could have started years ago."

"But it didn't." Still, Rosso could imagine what might have happened. Link was awkward socially in a way that most people could readily see. How much worse could it have been if he'd been pulled into something like the old legends much earlier?

"Because I wouldn't let it happen to him then," Gregio said. "At the time, I didn't know him well but I didn't want to see a kid forced into a role like that. I prepared him as best as I could by treating him as any other student. Even if it is some force of destiny, I wanted him to be able to choose to accept it. He did, so I know he must be troubled over what's going on."

"Could I help you with talking with him?" Rosso asked. "He might know the risks of battle, but this is something entirely different. I don't want to see a young man like him messed up in trusting the wrong person."

The older swordsman smiled at that. "Thanks, but I'm afraid you wouldn't help much in that conversation. It's a personal matter and I may be the only one he feels safe in opening up to fully. Although, there is something you might be able to do."

"And what's that?"

"Interfere with the power of legend itself."


	22. Temptation

**Chapter 22: Temptation**

When Link ordered the Rotting Dragon to remove as much of its poison from the marshlands as possible, the resulting effort left him feeling drained again. He warped back to Reeds with the intent of getting a room at the tavern to wash up and rest. The barkeep he'd spoken to kindly helped him getting a room and finding a washerwoman on noticed how dazed he looked upon appearing suddenly in the bar again.

He got woken up in the early evening by rowdy cheers outside. The townspeople were celebrating the defeat of the Rotting Dragon. When he got out of bed, Link meant to shut the window and sleep through the rest of the night. If he woke up before dawn, he could use the time to clean up the rest of his things. There was a stray thought that he should be socializing more, and then he was dressed back in his green tunic and pants without the chainmail, going downstairs to at least listen in on local gossip.

People noticed him readily and he got invited to join in on their celebrating. He wasn't sure of himself there, but at least he was alert now. "The Rotting Dragon was going to use all that cursed water it gathered to restart that wicked storm that came with them," one of the Marsh Queen's human guards said. "Once our Lady of Flowers gets her place fully revived with her, she's going to use it to send a healing rain over the lands instead. It might not fix everything that's going wrong, but it'll make things a little better."

How long had he been here? An hour? But that was good, he was enjoying himself for the moment. "It sounds like it would help."

"But you're really something else, you know?" a woman next to him at the table said. When did she get so close? Strangely, Link didn't feel that uncomfortable with it. She smiled in a giddy way when their eyes met this time. "Going around defeating these dragons that nobody else can handle."

"It's nothing special, just having the right tools," he said, having to restrain himself from saying more. She would listen with interest if he did, he could tell that. The neckline of her shirt didn't show more than her collarbone.

"But it takes someone real special to even handle them," she said.

There was a brief hazy vision in his mind, of stripping her down and touching her… no, more than that…

There was a clatter nearby that startled him out of it. Link looked away from her, embarrassed as if someone had called him out on that thought. Thankfully, someone else spoke up and changed the subject as he was at a loss for a response (or even what exactly she'd said before that). This wasn't like him, at least not in a crowded room like this. Then again, before this adventure, he'd find an excuse to not be here in the first place. What was he even doing here?

While other were talking, she reached under the table and tugged at his sleeve. Link looked back at her and there was something familiar to her eyes. If they got to a quieter place, she would let him do what he imagined. He couldn't recall what her name was. But she wasn't likely to hurt him, might not even talk about it with others. Still, he shook his head and turned from her again, hoping that none of the others noticed.

Then a dark-skinned hand touched his shoulder, making him look up at a red-haired man. Wasn't that…? He was dressed like any of the normal men around, but Gale was unmistakable. "Hello, what are you doing here?" he asked cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" Link asked, causing others at the table to laugh.

"Just traveling as I do, as I suspect you're in the middle of doing," Gale replied, taking a chair to join in. And no one else batted an eye at this, nor seemed to recognize him.

It reminded him of another time they'd been in a bar, when Link hadn't known who Gale really was and had to keep his nerves talking with only him. Smiling at him, he said, "Yeah, like usual."

"Well not many people's usual includes fighting dragons," someone else said. Without the threat of their lands becoming venomous, everyone in Reeds was lighthearted tonight. And Gale was quick to act so charming that none of them would have believed he was also Ganon. It was a surreal evening, happy at the same time.

Having him here reminded Link that there was something he wanted to get done here. "I know the Song of the Marsh Queen," he said when someone mentioned it. "He does too, right?"

"Of course, we must respect such a gentle lady," Gale said, which the locals approved of. "Though it's been a while since I've sung the words. I'm sure I could still play it on a piano or the like."

And that got others, without Link's prompting, to ask for that to be done. Link brought out his pan flute, which helped get Gale to cave in and play with him on the piano. Others sang along, some more drunkenly than others. Although, he didn't hear them much. He heard the flute and the piano, playing together in a bright almost normal moment. Gale looked nostalgic in that; Link was sure his smile was authentic. When others looked for something else to do after the song was done, Link tugged at Gale's sleeve and they managed to slip out before anyone noticed.

There were questions that were out of reach, and that he didn't care to look for now.

* * *

Link woke up alone again, but he didn't care about it this time. They had to keep up pretenses, that's why Gale would have shown up with some disguise magic that only he could see through. But at some point, it would all be unnecessary. He wouldn't need to fear being hurt and could live in that happiness, no longer alone or burdened. That was his goal and he'd make it work, no matter what anyone else thought.

But, there was someone whose thoughts did matter now. Bringing himself out of his reverie, he prepared for the day and headed out to meet with the Marsh Queen again. He must have spoken with others on the way, like her guards, but they didn't seem to matter. Even as they talked over the sphere of water and cursed or blessed rains, there was only one thing he cared about. "I got Gale to play your song last night."

"Yes, I heard it," the Marsh Queen said. Link felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. Something wasn't right. "Your's was as beautiful as before, but his part, unfortunately, was full of darkness."

He gripped the handle on his shield a little tighter. "No."

"He's been overtaken by the demon and has nothing but evil in his heart."

"That can't be true, his smile last night..." Gale was human, but everyone had turned on him, declaring him evil because they felt someone had to be evil to explain everything bad in the world. People wanted something to blame for their suffering, and someone to take care of it for them.

The Marsh Queen seemed kind, but perhaps she did that so people kept worshiping her. "He's fooling you. You're just a temporary amusement to him, someone to toy with before he crushes you."

"But..." there was so much he wanted to say in defense of Gale. He was the first person to compliment his voice, he was struggling against what he saw as fate, he was trying to make the best of a bad situation. Gale was not evil.

Then a familiar voice came from behind him. Gregio was here too. "You're letting your emotions sway you too much," he said in the strict tones he used for correcting mistakes. "You've forgotten why you set out on this journey in the first place."

"I haven't," Link said, stepping to the side so he could face both of them. "But I found new reasons, and Gale has no one else who truly believes in him. We're both going to lose in this, why can't any of you just let us be happy?"

"You'll betray everyone, even yourself, and bring suffering to even more," Gregio said, drawing his sword like he would stop at nothing to correct him. "You're chasing a phantom, in love with the embodiment of evil."

"What kind of hero are you?" a voice that sounded like Zelda said.

"No, I'm the only one who can see past all the stories and lies!" Link challenged back. His heart beat fiercely; he'd stand up to anyone for what he believed in, he wasn't afraid anymore.

He was alone now. A cold rain surrounded him; his chest tightened and a sob escaped him. Feeling lighter than before, he looked down and realized that he had nothing. There was no one he could trust, not after even Gregio had deemed him a fool. Why had they all betrayed him? He hadn't meant to betray them; he hadn't meant to hurt anyone. Link just wanted to save the person he loved, and now all this complicated mess made it hard for him to tell what he should be doing at all.

"Link?" Ganon beckoned him from a thorny throne; the sky shone red through the castle windows.

He tries to understand without accepting. He doesn't come from a world that understands love. But, they'd been through this over and over again. He'd taken on the life of a human so many times. He had to understand now. In the way he smiled, the way he gripped him when they embraced, he had to know.

"Gale..." there was so much to say, but his mouth felt dry. Link walked over to him, dropping his sword on the way. When he stood up, he ran over and hugged him tight. "I, I won't betray you."

"Are you going to be my hero?" He touched his cheek; that kind of gentleness couldn't belong to a demon.

"Yes." That was his goal, the dream he wanted more than anything else. Being with someone who loved him, giving up the silence that led him to leave before he woke up every morning, never having to be apart, never having to fear death because he was too strong for that… what he wanted more than anything.

"No matter what must be done?"

"Ye..."

Link was filled with a strange emptiness, looking at the ashes that remained of Taven. Everything had died, all that he had known was destroyed. No, no that didn't matter. He had what he wanted more than anything.

His lover touched his wet cheeks and Link laughed painfully. No, it was just what he thought was pain, he felt like this so much, it was just normal. He felt empty only because all the unnecessary things were gone. No more burdens, no more legends, just what he wanted right here with him…

* * *

Link bolted awake, gasping and afraid of himself. The morning sun hit his eyes painfully. When he put his hand on his face to shield it, he found that he had been crying. That dream was as vivid as any of the memories of past heroes. Unlike those, this was horrifying. As his vision steadied, he spotted a red hair on the pillow. Gale was gone again, without another trace that he'd been there at all. Link's throat tensed and he knew, without a doubt, that the nightmare could happen to him.

It took some time before he was able to get himself out of bed and to the bathroom to wash up. Last night had been real, the hair was the proof that Gale had been here. It all seemed warm and fuzzy, what he wanted to believe their relationship was like. If it wasn't for who they were, what roles they had, it might've been like that. But no, that wasn't their reality. The reality was that here he was considering running away again when he had his plan worked out, and knowing that he could betray everyone else if he let himself only see Gale. This wasn't something knowledge of the past heroes could help him with.

"I've got to be sensible, not getting wound up in all these possibilities," he told himself in the mirror, getting his hair straightened. "I keep telling myself I have to stop wavering and doubt; I really need to. Be confidant, be someone he can believe in so he has a chance at being a better person."

He looked closer and noticed a smeared shine still on his cheek. Sighing, Link wiped that off. This was getting him nowhere. He had to talk to the Marsh Queen first thing. She must have heard them last night. Hopefully, she had good news for him. But could he control himself if she didn't? He could imagine too a scene where he had Ganon lifeless on the floor, blood on the holy blade. But there was the same emptiness, having lost what made him feel such happiness and hope… and tormenting uncertainty that he could have never imagined before this all started.

Not even checking out with the innkeeper, Link left the inn and headed for the barn where the Marsh Queen was. The people of Reeds were going about their usual business, still elated at his deeds yesterday. They greeted him with warm awe. While he tried to return their greetings, he knew he was just going through the motions in that. This wasn't how a hero was, but he didn't care.

"You seem awful grim," one of the human guards said as the other went in to announce his presence.

At least an answer came to him quickly, something from another legend. "When a powerful evil hangs over the land, those sensitive to it often have troubled nights," Link replied. "This isn't the first time I've woken up like this." Perhaps not as intense, but it was true.

"It can't be all bad," the guard said, trying to cheer him up. "You seemed pretty happy last night, especially when that friend of yours showed up out of the blue. Or is he more than that?" He winked playfully.

Link smiled at that, glad for a brief moment. "That's between us. Thanks." But he turned grim again when he got inside the barn and it was just the Marsh Queen there with him. "I'm sorry for being rude, but I have to know, what did you hear in Gale now?"

Thankfully, she made no mention of how he blurted that out impatiently. "What I heard was a fragmented being, a human imprisoned in a demon's form. He fears stepping out of bounds for being erased entirely, but a growing hope centered on you makes him want to try what he gave up on before. His love was false at first, but it is becoming real and confuses the demon that thinks it is in full control."

"Oh thank god," Link muttered into his hands. He was relieved at that, he shouldn't start up crying again. "Sorry, I'm something of a mess this morning, I shouldn't be."

"It's all right," the Marsh Queen said, giving him no reason to doubt her sincerity. She even leaned closer to him, trying to touch him with her snout to reassure him. While it reminded him of Epona again, he smiled at the motion. "I was hoping for you all along, to settle your conflicted heart and let you focus on what you want to accomplish. He was genuinely happy to play with you. However, I must tell you that he is conflicted too and may not believe you entirely until you can save him from himself. But he needs as much hope as he can get, especially with what you plan to do. You are counting on him to make the right decisions."

"And I still have to defeat all of these dragons to have a chance at all," he said.

"You seem more confidant in that now," she said, pleased with it. "I did call on your sword master to meet with you today."

"Gregio's here?" It was like the dream, but hopefully it would play out better.

"Not quite yet, it's still early," the Marsh Queen said. "I told him to meet you at the inn, and told the owner that you would have a guest this morning. It's all settled, so go back and calm yourself. You'll need a clear mind, and the will to be completely honest with him."

"All right, thank you again. This helps so much." The appearance of the Triforce and the acceptance of the Master Sword had given him more confidence, but she had given him certainty that not even Gale could give him.

"You have done much good for me, it's only a fair exchange," she said, although her happiness at helping him was unmistakable.

He went back to the room he rented and took the time to make sure his gear was clean from yesterday's battle. The washerwoman had already sent back his clothes with a note saying that the payment for that was already taken care of. Good, that was one small obligation he didn't have to worry about. As much as he appreciated the small favors, he knew these people needed to make a living too.

He didn't hear much from the hall outside his room. At a time like this, there wouldn't be as many travelers to be guests to this place. All the people in the bar last night aside from himself and Gale had been locals. When he heard footsteps near the stairs, then, he was sure it was Gregio. Link got up to open up the door before he arrived. "Hello, Master Gregio."

He nodded. "Hello Link. I got a message from the Marsh Queen saying that you wanted to talk with me."

"Yes, come on in. There aren't any other guests, so we shouldn't be bothered. Um, sorry about the mess, I had to clean up my gear from battling in the marsh yesterday."

"That's fine," he said, shutting the door behind him. "You already seem different from last I saw you, mostly in that you would have hardly said anything before even with me."

Link chuckled at that, removing the quiver from a chair so they both had somewhere to sit. "Right, but having to deal with strangers everywhere I go forced me into talking more. It's not as bad as I was making it out to be in my mind."

* * *

When you were aware of what was happening, the power that orchestrated legends was easier to catch. Easier, though in the sense that navigating a dark trap-filled maze was easier with a candle than without. It was a subtle thing, nudging thoughts in directions it deemed proper and restricting the choices you saw. As long as you followed it, the path was indeed clear. But it was a path that disregarded the human heart, as was apparent in listening to Link now and recalling how Zelda was behaving.

Gregio felt one of those mental nudges and hoped that Rosso was holding up on his end. Maybe they should have asked one of the other sages along too. Then again, it was a question he wanted to ask himself. "Has he hurt you physically when you're alone?"

Tensing, Link looked aside and rubbed his neck. He'd admitted earlier without hesitation that he and Ganon were lovers. He was also certain that there was a way to save him from his fate as a villain. While the gesture was something new, the way his speaking slipped wasn't. "Well, it's… it's not entirely him, that is, once but it was clearly not Gale. His eyes were, they weren't right. And he chained me up back in the tower to tell me who he was, but again, that wasn't under his control."

"Can you tell the difference between his various selves?" There was a nudge in his mind trying to get him to tell Link that he couldn't trust Ganon at all and he was best off accepting that they would battle and only one of them would be walking away from it. On a more personal level, Gregio felt that if this was anyone else, he'd want to help them get out of this relationship. It couldn't be safe.

"No," Link said after a moment, looking defeated. He was well-liked and admired for his deeds, as was apparent from the maid who'd given Gregio the message from the Marsh Queen. In spite of that, Link had just a handful of people he was close to. Everyone else would be baffled if they heard about how vulnerable he actually was.

Gregio had to consider too that Link's partner could turn the continent into a living hell with the right motivation. This wasn't something he'd expected when he'd taken the boy under his wing, but they couldn't ignore it. "Sounds rough; I'm not sure I could handle a relationship where you know you can't trust them."

"No one else would care enough to try," Link said, something he kept coming back to. Even with the perfectly reasonable fear of being hurt, there was a fire to his eyes when he spoke like this. "But, I know that too. I had a dream last night, not like of the past heroes but what could happen." He bit his lip, still troubled over it. "I was worried for a while if something bad came of this talk and lead to.. well, I want to make sure the kids back home can live a safe life, but I also want to save Gale. It's just, those reasons could clash easily and dropping either one," he waved his hand some, trying to work out what he wanted to say. "It'd hurt and I'd regret it all my life. But I think I can make both happen."

"Still, you shouldn't accept him doing something harmful like choking you."

"How did you know?" he asked, startled and nearly going defensive again. But it was out and couldn't be ignored.

"It was a guess."

"Well he apologized and I should have been more careful not to..." his voice trailed off.

Gregio clasped his hand. "Don't blame yourself for someone else hurting you like that."

"I know it's risky, but I'll deal with this quickly and won't have to worry about it. I think. It's just, I have to get past the Septdraco challenge, and then," he tried to slip away from the subject a couple more times, but Gregio didn't want Link blaming himself for what he wasn't responsible for.

It was an hour to noon when they parted, Link going to warp to Taven to start on the road south. Gregio headed into the local bar, finding Velken and Rosso at one of the tables. The Zora was still absorbed in his prayers. Putting a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, Gregio asked, "You all right?"

"Hmm?" He shifted his head, noticed him, then grumbled. "That gave me a headache, I had no idea it'd be like this."

"Did it work?" Velken asked.

Gregio nodded. "There was a power trying to influence me, but it was obvious this time. It would have done more harm than good if it got to me."

Rosso rested his head in his hand; he looked like he needed some time to recover, given how his fins were keeping close to his body. "So what's going on with them?"

"Let's get some lunch here before we get you back to the castle to rest," Gregio said, sitting down at their table. "There was some foolishness in it, but he recognizes it now. Link is in love with him and means to save Gale from what he's become. At the same time, he's doing what he always has, protecting the other kids at St. Saria."

"Aren't those conflicting goals?" Velken asked.

"Maybe not," he said with a shrug. "The Marsh Queen has recognized that Ganon does retain some humanity from this lifetime, so he's not a pure manifestation of evil." He tapped the table since that returned some thoughts to him. "According to the legends, Ganon's line started with a demon king and Zelda's line started with a goddess. Both were reborn as humans over many generations now, so they've become very distant from what they were."

"The hero was always human, though," Rosso said, putting his hand down and trying to keep awake.

"Which means he was always bound to change from generation to generation due to what kind of life he lived," Gregio said. "Link has a plan and told me about it; I personally believe he can pull it off, although he does need to gain mastery over the Septdraco before that can be certain. The problem there is that he has not gained control over the Prism Dragon, which was created of lust."

Velken frowned at that while Rosso shook his head. "Right, that could undo him even if he can save Gale as he wants."

"I did what I could, but it's up to him now," he said. Although, he still had confidence in his student.

* * *

Now that she could get replies for her letters, Zelda was finding a lot of support from the many provinces that now made up Hyrule. The Ordonne province south of Taven Forest was where the Thorn Dragon had ended up; they had managed to trap the dragon after it had torn up much of their farmland. Unfortunately, they weren't able to do anything more to it so they had to rely on Link getting there to take care of it.

She bit her lip at thinking about him again. She was getting many requests to repeal her statement against him, from the snowbound northern region to several small towns throughout Sudai. Of course, Taven was fully behind him and even central Hyrule was in his favor for getting rid of the Clockwork Dragon. But that could turn out to be a dangerous thing. Those dragons were powerful beings of evil that could corrupt Link even further. Once he had control over all of them, he would have a wide array of deadly powers when he was still influenced by Ganon. Things were going to get worse.

No, she had to set those thoughts aside and focus on uniting the provinces to reclaim Hyrule Castle. A large army was not the way to go; they couldn't conquer it like her father had conquered many lands. They would need skilled warriors and magicians to eliminate the many monsters under Ganon's command. And to nullify Ganon himself, she and the sages had to work together to get him captured under a powerful seal, then find a way to eliminate him fully. They would soon be capable of creating the seal while the real goal was still uncertain.

Was there some way they could limit the involvement of the fighters until the seal was done? She and the sages would need to get most of the work done without his notice. While the fighters were to keep his attention elsewhere, she didn't like doing that because it put all those people at risk. But this had to get done. Some risk was needed. But if there was something that distracted him without their intervention, there would be fewer deaths when it came time to put Ganon down.

There was a knock on the office door. Zelda glanced at the guards with her, guards that would do fine except for against her true enemy. "Come in," she said, reviewing a spell she was trying to learn. It might only buy her some time, but it would be time enough to get away to better protection.

Thankfully, it was one of the sages. Gregio came in and offered her a letter. "Link asked me to pass this along to you."

"Did he?" She picked up the letter gingerly; it seemed ordinary. "How did your talk with him go?" And where was he? She'd heard nothing about Gregio going out to meet with him, although she had been busy today.

"I'm sorry, but much of that talk I don't want to relate to a lady," he said.

"Oh right." Since he said nothing more, Zelda opened up the envelope. Link's handwriting was simple and neat, without any of the little flourishes that were in many of the other letters she'd been reading this morning.

'Dear Zelda:

I'm sorry about getting mad at you the other day. I shouldn't have been so quick to get angry at you when I am partly at fault. Even so, I can't change my heart that easily. I still love Gale even if you can only see him as Ganon. No matter what anyone else might think, I want to save him and I'm not giving up on him.'

She was not going to forgive him for this. Zelda gripped the paper tighter, thinking of tearing it. He'd written more, but what did it matter? This was going entirely wrong and it was up to her to bring light back to Hyrule.

Without warning, she felt her awareness shift. Her mind was no longer in a mundane office of Sudai castle, but in a sacred place hidden away from reach of most people. "Read the rest of his letter," a kindly motherly voice suggested.

"I don't want to, it's clear he's gone astray," Zelda said defiantly.

"Read it," the voice said, reminding her that mothers could be strict in their love as well.

Although reluctant, it was hard to ignore the request. Zelda read on.

'I know it will be hard to accept given what's happened to you, but think about this all as more than just that. It's clear now that something like this was bound to happen. However, the both of us had choices to make on how to handle things. We could have chosen to not do anything, or keep away from this conflict. Although, I know I would have had a difficult time following through on that. I still could have left when this turned out to be more than a simple conflict of good and evil.

Gale didn't have any choice. Talk to anyone around there and they'll say that he's changed drastically from the king they loved. It's even in his portraits, he looked a lot different from who he was around two years ago. He was forced to become Ganon and I don't like that. I want to give him a chance to have a normal life after this, to prove that he's really a good person when he can be himself. We do have to stop him from what he's doing now, but please give me a chance to save him first.

I know what I mean to do is dangerous and would seem foolish to others. It's already been hard on me and I can easily get hurt again because he is ruled by a demon now. But I believe I can find what I'm after and bring peace to the land. If something goes wrong, I've already told your general Kimbera that she could take over. I'm sure that if the Master Sword finds me to be lacking, it will find its way into her hands and she can take care of things.

In the meantime, I'm sure you have your hands full leading so many people. You mentioned not feeling like you could do much. However, you are much better suited than me to deal with our nation as a whole and address more practical matters after this conflict is over. I won't bother you again, but I wish you well in what's to come.

From Link.'

"He holds no ill feelings towards you. Can you forgive him?"

At the same time, he didn't seem to have any good feelings towards her, just a neutral respect. It made sense given how little contact they'd had. Still, it didn't change how she felt wronged by all this. This wasn't how things were supposed to go and there was little she could do about it directly. "No, he's being a fool."

"But think about this: what kind of happiness can he expect if he does things as you think he should? He has no family to return to. This sage has said he has few friends to return to as well. He has no chance at love with you. While he would be lauded for all time as a hero like the rest of his line, he would lose the one he loves even if it is foolish. It would be an empty victory, meaningless to him as everyone else enjoys it. It seems inhumane to expect him to soldier on with only duty and destiny in mind."

"But a hero should respond to duty and do what must be done. We can't excuse Ganon based on who he once was. He's become evil incarnate, he can't be forgiven."

"He had no choice."

"I don't believe that! He chose to kill Impa, he chose to take over Hyrule. And he chose to turn Link against me, so both of them must suffer the consequences of what they chose."

"You won't reconsider? Very well."

Her mind shifted again and she was back in the office with all the rest of today's paperwork. "Queen Zelda?" Gregio asked.

Keep calm, at least outwardly. Zelda had a lot of practice in that. "Sorry, I lost my composure for a moment." She meant to ask him how much he had heard.

But a golden sparkle distracted her. She lifted her left hand and looked at it. The marking of the Triforce shimmered, then peeled itself away. When the Triforce of Wisdom itself appeared in front of her, she had a feeling like when Impa rebuked her. "Consider your choices." Then it vanished, leaving her entirely.

"What?" Zelda murmured in shock. The guards in the room stared, not sure what to make of this.

In contrast, Gregio didn't seem surprised. "He spent every day after your argument trying to compose that apology," he said.

"Did he?" She'd not thought once of trying to talk with him again, since it was clear he'd made his decision and was going to stick with it. Although, she'd not thought this could happen to her.

"Whatever happened just now was apparently between you and the gods," Gregio said, closing his eyes. "You'll want to be keeping knowledge that it's left you to a minimum, right? You should at least let the other sages know. You're counting on us and not being straightforward will cost you."

"Why do you figure I'd want that?" she asked. Although she did want to keep this quiet. The people needed a strong leader they could count on and this news would cause them to start losing hope.

When he looked back at her, she knew that he was tolerating her for now. But he had limits to how much he would tolerate, as he had left her father's service before. "That's how things usually are: people want to believe royalty is good and strong, so those like you must appear so no matter what's going on in your personal life."

"Of course." But what now? She didn't have the power of the Triforce to count on, so plans for the seal would need to be adjusted accordingly. "Thank you, Sir Gregio."

"I thought I told you not to address me like that," he said. "I'm around because I want to help the peoples of Hyrule. Since my weak leg won't let me do so as a swordsman, I will do what I can as a sage. But while you may have called on me, my duty is to the children of Taven, much like Link feels his duty is due to." He then left her to consider those words as well.

"I don't see how he could protect children and be loyal to Ganon," Zelda said to herself quietly. A part of her wanted to declare that there was nothing more to this, that they should get rid of both Ganon and Link at this point. But she couldn't ignore that Wisdom had left her. She was doing something wrong too.


	23. Realm of Sin V

**Chapter 23: Realm of Sin V**

There was no one on the forest road, as travel was still too dangerous for most. With these roads made wide and smooth for the wagons, it meant that Link could let Balrog run freely to get to Ordonne fast. It was a name that felt familiar. From the history lessons, he knew why. Ordonne had once been a larger region that included the forests around Taven. Conflict that hadn't made sense to him as a child had caused a rift in two major towns that split the region in two, the southern town taking the Ordonne name and the northern one becoming Taven. All these regions and towns changed over the centuries, but Hyrule always remained.

It was a fact that now bothered him, but it was a small thing among everything else. Sometimes he let himself be absorbed in the passing trees and hardened road. It was a feeling he enjoyed. Gale wanted him to slow down and Link wanted to as well if he was honest with himself. However, he knew that things would be better once all this mess was taken care of. Much better, because then he could be with Gale alone.

But there was something that Gregio had pointed out. He might not have met with Gale's true self yet. When he freed him from the legacy of Demise and Ganon, Link couldn't be sure of who the resulting person would be. Gale might be grateful to be free, but he might not be in love. He could succeed and still not get what he was hoping for.

Still, Link felt like even that would be better than Gale getting killed off. He could still have a chance to get his love returned, even if it took more work. Besides, that was something he'd be able to figure out later. There were more immediate problems to think over.

At the end of the road, the forest opened up into wide open fields. There was a town here, not Ordonne itself but a stop on the way there. Link slowed Balrog down and took another look at the fields. When he mentally compared this land to dream memories, something didn't look right here. It was summer, so there should be thick growth of crops everywhere. Instead, he saw large dark gaps like gashes on the earth itself. Was the dragon so close?

There were still some hours of the day left, so there weren't many in the town when he dismounted to send Balrog away. He did find some women and children who were working together on laundry. Once he showed them the artifact and explained that he was only here after the dragon, they were willing to talk with him. "It's been a week back that the Thorn Dragon was around here."

Another woman pointed out to the fields. "Right, but you can still see the mess it made. It was an absolute rampage and nobody around here could do anything about it. Everybody's worried about between it and the cursed rain that passed through, we won't have much of a harvest come fall. All the menfolk have been hard at work salvaging what we've got."

"Do you have any idea of where it's moved on to?" Link asked.

"Actually, some folks off to the southeast have got it trapped in a pit," one of them said. "I don't know how they mean to keep a dragon trapped, but they're trying. It's just that none of us can actually kill it."

"I can get rid of it once I get there," he said, hoping that they were managing to keep it. Although given that it was born of pride, he didn't think it'd be easy to keep it down. "What roads could I take to get to where they are?"

"There should be signs up, to the town of Mulberry." She then gave him more specific directions on which roads to look for.

Before he left, one of the girls came up to him. "Excuse me mister, but you're from north of here, right? Do you know a place called St. Saria's?"

Link nodded. "I'm from there myself."

She looked hopeful. "Oh, then do you know my friend Emma? She lost her mom a little while back and she got taken away to there."

"I know her," he said, recalling her as the newer girl who had a crush on him. "She's doing well, all things considered."

"We were gonna let her stay with us, but then some knights said we couldn't do that," the girl said.

A woman who must have been her mother added, "I don't see why they had to do that. We were perfectly fine with taking care of Emma ourselves, but the Hylian government insisted that she had to go to one of the orphanages they sponsored. We didn't even get a response on adoption papers from the castle so we could keep her here."

"That shouldn't be how they do things," Link said, although he didn't know much about the larger laws himself. "Have you tried contacting the orphanage directly? The headmistress is a reasonable woman and should agree to adopting her to people she already knows."

"Can you help us with that?" the girl asked. "I really miss her and I was gonna be a good sister to her."

"I've got to take care of these dragons first," he told her, patting her head. "It's too dangerous right now for us to be letting the kids out of our town. But I'm almost done, I promise you that. And once that's all taken care of, I'll see if I can bring Emma back here myself for you. Your family just needs to talk with the orphanage to make things proper."

The girl grinned at that. "All right, thanks mister!"

The other women even smiled at that. "I'll give that a try once we can count on mail deliveries," the girl's mother said. "There's a lot of people here who'd like to see Emma come back home too."

And he'd liked to see more of the children in Taven get to other homes. Link left them to their work and headed out to take care of his. The roads were torn up along with the fields, forcing Link to pay more attention to where they were going than the thoughts in his mind. While he'd been able to pull back the magical damage from the other dragons, he didn't know if he could undo all this as much as he wished he could. Hopefully they could get enough food to get themselves through winter.

When he got to the town of Mulberry, things were getting bad. The dragon had escaped their trap and was now rampaging through the town. People were along the road trying to get away or looking back in horror. Ignoring them for now, Link pressed on down the road. Immensely long vines were whipping through buildings and writhing along the ground. He guided Balrog through it all on instinct rather than any thought, sending the phantom horse away once he got in close range to the dragon's main body.

It had an enormous reach with those vines, but the Thorn Dragon itself was only five feet long. While its scales were a regal violet, the beast underneath the vines was relatively plain and almost nonthreatening compared to the others. Link blocked smaller vines with his shield, getting metallic dings with every strike. He soon spotted the seal on its head, which it was defending with its vines. After dropping back, Link got out the trirang and activated the fire setting. The flames cleared a path that he was quick to rush down and strike once he had the chance. It burst into violet smoke that dragged him into the other realm.

The ruined town of Mulberry still surrounded them in a strange violet light. However, his attention went to something unusual: the white soul flame was in plain sight, hovering not far from the basin. He didn't get a chance to go claim it as black vines erupted from the ground and surrounded the flame. Thorny armor was formed; the dragon brought its hand forward and summoned a large golden sword. While it looked impractical, it also looked horrifically cruel with barbed edges meant to dig into skin and not let go. The dragon gripped the sword in both hands and readied itself for a duel.

There was no ignoring this duel, not when it had the flame itself. Nodding, Link stepped off the seal to face it. He then got out of the first attack easily when the dragon overshot its swing. There was a clang when it hit the area near the seal; its attacks were not going to affect that area. In the moment it took to recover its balance, Link thrust in to see if he could cut apart the vines surrounding the soul flame. They were harder than most vines, but not hard enough to be metal.

Stepping back, he observed its stance and the cut he'd made. There was more skill in his opponent than when he'd faced the berserker guardians in Clockwork's trial. It had the strength to wield its heavy sword as well. If it did hit, it would be painful even not considering the barbs. Yet a few more exchanges assured him that this was not as bad as facing his shadow, not being as relentless nor as overwhelming. The cuts were not being repaired either; this was simply a duel that needed patience, striking when he could and not letting it land a hit.

Or, that was a barbed blade. If it got caught in anything, it'd be hard to pull out. Link started leading as best he could, moving back to one of the more intact buildings. It was a wooden structure with a covered porch. While the pillars might not stand under a blow, he just needed to get himself backed into the wall… there, then dart out of its swing. The gold glinted ominously.

And the blade got jammed into the wall as he expected. There was a loud crack as the armor pulled on it. This might not last long, but Link moved in, slashed away some weakened vines to increase the opening, then grabbed the soul flame directly and pulled it out. With a real flame, he'd be burned right now. This flame accepted him gently, recognizing his caution. The dragon gave a feral scream as he ran off and set the flame within the basin.

"I should not fail like this!" the Thorn Dragon growled, appearing with very few of its vines. "You didn't even call on any of the others."

"I didn't need to," Link said.

"I should be able to take over any who think themselves able to use our power," it continued, becoming less angry and more baffled at the results. "But I must obey the rules of the magic that binds us. Hero, you strange human… I am the Thorn Dragon born of pride, but I submit my will to yours. Go on, use my blade to destroy those who get in the way of what you want. You've earn the right." It then vanished, turning another ring violet and sending him back to the normal world.

"Would you undo any of the damage you've done?" Link asked. There was no cut in the wall from their sword duel, but every building that he could see was going to need repairs to make them useable again. Several might need to be rebuilt entirely. And as he glanced into a broken window, he saw bodies from those who had been unable to escape.

But as he thought, nothing could be done for this. He sighed and headed on back to the road. The people he'd seen fleeing were waiting some distance away, having seen the dragon disappear but not being sure if it was really gone. One man who was braver than the rest came to meet him. "Is the dragon really gone?"

Link nodded and pointed out the ring on the Septdraco. "I've got it under control. And, I'm sorry I came too late to save your town."

Even if this man was braver than the rest, he still had a look of mournful uncertainty. "Uh, well, it's gone. Nothing anybody could do about what's been done." He looked back at the others. "Not sure who all's alive or gone."

"Who's in charge here?" When he wasn't sure how to answer, Link decided to take charge for them. There was no time to doubt about what he could do as someone had to make sure these people were safe and taken care of. "No, for now, is there any safe shelter we can take for the night? It might be too late to set out for another town, but we can at least have those who are fit search around for others who might have escaped in another direction."

"There's some barns not too far, as the animals have scattered," he said, pointing off to the north. The man helped him call in the people who'd come this way. There were those who were injured and frightened children, with nearly everyone in various degrees of shock. No one questioned Link deciding on what to do to make sure they were all safe for the night. Rather, they seemed relieved at him doing so.

By the time night fell, they'd gathered forty-six survivors around two barns. Fires had been set up to ward monsters away and help with a group that was patching up wagons for them to use tomorrow. They seemed sure that they could reach Ordonne itself tomorrow, to find some shelter until they could get the resources to fix up their town. Some of the young men and women were fit enough to keep guard, but Link wanted to stay up with them for certain.

Before that, though, he tried to comfort the kids so that they got some sleep tonight. He didn't blame them if they couldn't. "I've fought a lot of monsters now, big and small. Even so, I have to be careful around them too."

"Are they gonna attack suddenly or will we know they're coming?" one girl asked, her arms wrapped around her knees.

There would be the blow of a horn, or a feral call. "Yes, but then I'll find them and get rid of them before they come close." He put a hand on the Master Sword resting on his back; he could see a faint silver glow on his wrist from it. "There's no evil that can stand against this weapon."

Once the kids were settled down as best they could, Link went out to check around the perimeter. This was pasture land; the fences were broken in several places. Once his eyes adjusted, there was a clear view of the land around them. There weren't many places where monsters could sneak up on them here. The tree line was distant enough that they'd have plenty of time to spot ambushes. Then again, these people were shaken. Fear could see what was not there and miss what really was.

His paths crossed by one of the young men; Link nodded to him. He smiled and there was a stray thought that he was a fit and handsome fellow. No, that was inappropriate. Link was going to move on, but then the young man said, "Hey, you think we're in the clear here?"

He nodded again. "The less intelligent monsters will keep away from the fire, and the others like the bokoblins won't rush for a fire not their own. As long as we have eyes in all directions, we'll see them coming."

"It'd be better if the fences were whole, but yeah, I think we're okay for tonight," he said. Then he met his eyes and there was a start like the surreal feeling he'd felt the previous night in Reeds. "Say, uh, you seem to have open eyes for folks."

Link wasn't familiar with that kind of talk, but he felt like he knew the meaning. "This isn't an appropriate moment," he said, although he could feel a heat to his blood and see in his mind what could happen.

While that should have been obvious, he came closer and gripped his arm. "Why not? It's dark enough that if we go out further, nobody would notice. Everybody would still be scattered if it hadn't been for you, so I'd like to do something in appreciation for that."

They could escape notice of the others; it would be a brief thing, and it was probably safer than what he had done before since this man couldn't be as violent. Such thoughts tried to blur his judgment, but others tried to jar sense into him. He should not be giving in like this. Specifics got lost, but he knew he couldn't.

"Sorry, I can't accept that," Link said, although the words felt forced. He was able to push his arm away.

"What are you doing?" a familiar voice said sternly from the darkness.

"Whoa, who's out here?" the young man said, not realizing the danger he was in.

"It's nothing," Link said, going towards Gale and trying to seem calm. The lighting wasn't great here, but his eyes did not look human right now. Later, he'd deal with the other guy. "Uh, you go keep an eye out in that area. We need to talk," what about… "the closer treeline, it's over there." He went closer, his heart racing. "Gale, trust me, we'll, talk."

He looked over at the other guy in a jealous hate, so Link put a hand on his chest. His mind still felt blurred; it should be clear what was happening, he knew there was a reason. After looking at him, Gale growled softly, then clasped his hand and teleported them out past the treeline. The survivors around the barns would not be seeing them out here. "What were you doing with him?" he said sternly.

"I don't know him," he started with, although his mind was getting distracted by the feel of his breath on his cheek. This was completely different from how he'd been last night, when he'd been charming and civilized. But what was he doing here? "It was a spontaneous offer from him, but I turned him down."

"I could kill them all for tempting you like that," Gale said. It was a feral tone like he heard from some of the dragons.

From him, it was thrilling. It shouldn't be. The blur was more of a warm fog. "No, please," his hand moved over and undid one of his buttons.

"They're weaklings, they," he got distracted by what he was doing and looked at him. Pulled him closer. "You're one of true power, you shouldn't be wasting time on them."

Prism was pushing him; the fact finally got in grasp. He could also see the lust in him. Could he distract him from the survivors just trying to get through this night? "But you're the powerful one of us two," Link said, taking control of these feelings inside because he knew what he liked. "What do they matter? You seem wilder tonight, like you could really show me what power you have."

He didn't say anything in response, just gave a deep laugh and held onto him tight.

* * *

Ganon could feel himself slipping. There was a time for planning and civility; there was a time for manipulations and calculated moves. But eventually, a feral feeling of power would overtake him, willing to solve everything through violence. It would start with hate, feeling offended at a prick through his defenses or being enraged at being opposed by an unworthy foe. It was a dangerous state of mind, yet there was a thrilling fulfillment in reaching it without holding back. Still, not yet, this wasn't the time. He could keep the beast in check with logic for some time yet.

Or, it could be pushed away by someone else entirely. Sometimes he broke out of that state right before a death, after a good battle. But this was new. This was the first time someone had turned that hate into lust and let that burn out on themselves. Worn out from that, Link was asleep on the ground, hardly minding the fact that he was out in a pasture where some unlucky stranger could stumble on them.

Previously, he'd left Link once he'd fallen asleep from their nights together. Ganon had no need for sleep, he was changed beyond those base matters. Tonight, he found himself worrying about if someone stumbled across Link like this. He could set up a ward to keep monsters from finding him and killing him. With some tweaking, it could be made to dissuade the humans from coming near as well. Then he could head back to the castle.

He could do that, yet Ganon found himself sitting against one of the trees and watching over him. Link had stopped him from getting rid of worthless beings that didn't deserve this world. He should be angry about it, killing him here in his sleep when he couldn't fight back. In this state, the sword on his back meant nothing. Instead of being angry, he wanted to take care of him even if just for this night.

It was a worthless sentiment. There was no advantage to taking care of someone else in a defenseless state. The other person took all the benefit and what did they give back? Well, there was what he'd been given already tonight. Was that enough to do this otherwise pointless task of keeping watch?

It was something to be taken as proof that he truly cared about and loved him even if he didn't. That would tie Link tighter to him. And this really wasn't much, was it? Just leave the other worthless people alone, take some time easy doing nothing more than keeping others away. Link would give back even more in the future for this little investment.

And there were pleasant nostalgic memories creeping in, of a joyful love for those who took care of him, holding his hand on uneven grounds and showing him the good of the world…

Ganon grumbled softly at those memories, wanting to sweep them away fully. That self, the one who had been born into this mortal body, he should be gone by now. It was something of a failure that he'd grown such strong human morals in spite of his heritage. And now he was trying to convince him that binding himself to another was a good idea.

Closing his eyes, he thought back to the life he'd taken this name from. While he was declared king merely for being born a boy, there had been many schemes from cunning Gerudo women to secure him as a husband and thus take leadership of the tribe. Ganon had learned from them well. Their fighting techniques depended on a female's physique, leaving him at a disadvantage. But their cunning and manipulation that was something easy for a male to adapt.

Around twelve years, he already knew that he needed something else to take control of his life for himself. A man's advantage in physical strength was not enough when the Gerudo women knew how to counter that. Thus he left his mother behind and went far into the desert to seek out the infamous twin witches to learn magic from. They used magic which the other Gerudo deemed immoral. Ganon didn't care, since morals seemed like a weakness to control others with. And this was all before his demonic side awakened.

Compare that to the boy king of this generation, one who was controlled by an immoral conqueror. He did not see this as an example to follow. Instead, his examples were his deceased parents who saw leadership as a type of service and power as something to handle with care. He struggled more than the other king. There was an odd satisfaction and happiness in there that shouldn't be possible. The same kind of feelings led to this wasted time.

What did that matter? Ganon was biding his time until the moment he could reclaim the Triforce. Whatever he did in these days was inconsequential. He may as well take what pleasure he could get even if it led to nonsensical situations like tonight.

Take what he could in this limited time… he looked back at Link. Still asleep. This one was strong and handsome, although his willpower became attractively passive when around him. It was a little curious that he noticed such things about him; maybe his plans this time made it more apparent. It was also curious that the thought of how brief this time would be seemed to hurt too. Since he was sure to get Courage awakened soon, Ganon should be anticipating his victory. But it'd be a victory too if Link swore his loyalty, right?

He called on some paper and wrote out a short note for Link this time. Once he finished, Link started to stir even though the first glow of dawn had yet to appear. Ganon left the letter by him and warped back to the castle. Perhaps he could begin work on retaking Sudai Castle. But then, wouldn't it be nice to disrupt Zelda again, but this time with Link at his side and willing to kill her at his orders? They'd be well broken after an act like that.

This odd happiness might even be because of how Link would unquestionably be his.

* * *

Link: Don't worry about missing your watch duties. My presence made sure no monster would dare go against my wishes and come close. They should continue to keep away until tomorrow night as well.

And I apologize for showing up two nights in a row unannounced. I've simply been overcome with a desire to be with you as much as possible. I'll also take your word that you thought nothing of that other man's offer. Just watch yourself. You belong to me and you're not going to accept any other, right?

Actually, I've been caught up in a lot of feelings lately that don't seem like myself. I want more time to figure out what you mean to me, what we could be together. Perhaps you could come to the castle to see me instead? I'll devote some time just for you and the rest of the world can handle itself for that time. There is much more I'd love to tell you.

Love, Ganon

Why had he used that name? Link read it back over, using Sophie's lamp for illumination. It had made him feel a buzz of happiness until he noticed that mistake. Now that he was careful, it didn't seem right. Gale might plead for him for more time, but Ganon told him to make that time. Whichever self he was, some of this all was an act.

Link knew that and still wanted to accept it happily. Just a little more time, though. Just a few more obstacles, and then he could speak to Gale and know who it was that he loved. Although, could he keep some of who he'd been last night? Link didn't think he could tell anyone, not even Gregio, but that had been something amazing.

He collected himself as best he could, hoping it wasn't too obvious what he'd really been up to. When he got back to the barns, the survivor's camp was quiet. "How's it going here?" Link asked those keeping watch over the fire.

"Nothing much has happened, thankfully," a woman said. "Where've you been?"

"Out by the treeline," he said, as much as he felt safe in admitting. "There's not many monsters in sight, which is nice. The dragon might've intimidated them."

"It is odd, but nice, yes."

"We did find someone else, a neighbor of mine," a man there said. "But he's delirious, possibly from an infected wound. He was mumbling something about sparkling fog."

Link bit his lip. Once he told them he'd get back to keeping guard, he went to go check on where they were keeping the injured. It had been dark, but they'd gotten close enough that he recognized him now. His skin was hot and he was barely moving now. Feeling both glad that he hadn't given in and guilty that he might have, Link asked if they'd given him any medicine, then offered one of his own to try breaking the fever. He needed to do something about Prism soon.

For the time being, he should keep these people safe. Link checked around to be sure that they could head off once the sun was up. They had to track down some missing horses to get enough to pull the wagons. As expected, said horses had gathered together for safety through the night and were glad to have a knowing human lead them back to the barn. Link checked them over for injuries, brushed them down to further soothe their nervousness, then helped their owner hook them up. By then, the sun was up and some of the women had gotten together a breakfast to share with everyone.

Balrog wasn't about to let itself be tied to reins, as Link expected. He rode the phantom horse so he could scout a short distance ahead and still be able to get back quickly in case the others got in trouble. Whether by luck or some interference from Gale and Ganon, not many monsters were near this road and Link was able to dispatch the ones that were well before the survivors were in danger.

Much like Ruto in central Hyrule, the town of Ordonne had put up temporary barricades and other measures to keep itself safe. Link was the first to meet with the guards there. "Mulberry got destroyed by the Thorn Dragon escaping its pit," he told them, pointing back towards the approaching group. "These people are the survivors we could find; they need somewhere safe to stay."

"We've got a lot of people already, but we should be able to take in some more," one of the guards said. "What about the dragon? Is it still loose?"

Link shook his head. "I've got it recapturd in the Septdraco."

"That's good, let me go tell the lord of what's going on. There's a church a short ways down this road, could you bring the group there for now?"

"Sure." He rode back to inform the people of Mulberry about this.

Like those from Eblan, they wanted to reward him for saving them. Link declined the offer; they needed what little they had to get their homes and shops rebuilt once it was safe to go back. Plus, he had failed them in getting distracted last night. They wouldn't know, but it still bothered him. The Ordonne lord came in to check on the people of Mulberry himself, which Link saw as an opportunity to slip out and head on to Laverre.

He didn't get far as one of the younger boys soon clung to his leg. "Do you have to go?" he asked with teary eyes. "Who's gonna protect us if you go?"

Smiling for the boy, Link patted his head. "You'll be fine; this town has guards that will protect everyone here."

"But you're better than everybody, we'll be really safe with you here," he said, pressing his face against Link's leg.

It reminded of how he felt about Gregio at first. Thinking it might help, Link gently pulled the boy away so he could crouch down and hold his hand. "Maybe, but that means that I should go after the evil ones who are making the world dangerous now. I know it's scary because lots of bad things are happening to many people. But it won't last much longer, I promise you that. I'll stop the one who commands the monsters and life will become more peaceful. So while I'm leaving soon, I'll still be protecting you."

"Are you really gonna do that?" he asked. When Link nodded, he rubbed his eyes. "Um, okay. I'll try to be brave too, and wait."

"Good, I'm glad," Link said, letting him go and getting up.

"Those would be the words of a true hero, so we all need to keep strong in these last days of darkness," the lord said, coming over to them. "And you would be Link Verdan?"

"Yes, I am,"he said, giving a bow of his head for respect.

The lord mirrored the action. "I've heard about you from Zelda."

"You can't be thinking of turning him in," one of the Mulberry men said. Others came closer and Link found himself wishing that he had gotten away quietly. But no, these were results of his mistakes. "Everyone in our town could've been wiped out if he hadn't come when he did."

The lord seemed embarrassed too, rubbing his head. "We don't want more trouble from the Hylian royalty. They've had us in quite a bind the past few years."

"That was all because of that horrible king who invaded us," the man said, angry at the lord. "He only put you in charge because you agreed to do whatever he said, but he's gone now. Link came and helped us without waiting on being asked to."

Another nearby added, "Right, he did that but the royals just keep giving orders from their castles. Are you really going to turn on him for people who couldn't stop this mess from happening in the first place?" From the nods going around, he wasn't the only one who felt like that.

"Zelda and Joachim should be more reasonable once they take back central Hyrule," Link said, glad and yet uneasy for their support. "I know what she must've said about me and I have made mistakes that led to that. But I only want to finish up the responsibility I've taken on."

"You even just said he speaks like a true hero," a woman nearby said.

The lord sighed. "All right, I'll take that into consideration. If you've got to be going so soon, I'll just have to tell her that I didn't get to properly meet you. But thank you for rescuing our people here."

"It's nothing," Link said. "I'm glad to have helped."

An hour later, he found himself looking down the road towards Laverre. It was a city large enough to compete with Hyrule Castle Town, at least as the latter had been. White stone and red brick buildings sprawled along the inner coast of a large bay leading out into the ocean. While he was still a couple miles away, he could already see a giant whirlpool disturbing the waters and keeping the ships at port trapped there. That should be Twin Fang.

It could stay there a while longer as there were more pressing issues to deal with. Link checked around the hill he had stopped on. As it was mostly open fields now, he could tell that there wasn't anyone to put in danger here. The last town had been a small stop at the edge of the Ordonne farms, well behind him now. There were some dips and ditches that monsters could be lurking, but otherwise this area seemed clear.

He dismounted to dismiss Balrog, then looked over the Septdraco. Only one ring was still gray, which would likely turn orange once he got Twin Fang. Link took hold of the iridescent ring that stood out from the rest and tugged on it. "Prism, you've put a great many people in danger with your tricks. I will challenge you now."

The ring shone bright and fog descended around him.


	24. An Introvert's Courage

**Chapter 24: An Introvert's Courage**

"Wait, why is he challenging you now? He's only got five of us."

"Yeah, that's not usually how these things go."

"He's definitely angry this time, but it's that calm fury with reason."

"I can't work with that! Look, you'd better not mess this up. If you fail, then all we've got left is Fang when he's turned down rewards on multiple occasions."

"Heh, I'm not worried. Even a calm fury isn't going to conquer me."

"Watch yourself, pride is my realm. I'll crush that little ball of yours if you tread on my turf too much."

'I'd like to see you try. Later!"

"Maybe we should prepare Twin Fang better."

"You really think they're going to listen?"

"We've only got two chances now..."

 _I also have a chance at him_.

* * *

A golden shimmer appeared on the back of his left hand. Link touched it reverently. "Help me to keep my mind clear; I must overcome this trial."

It flickered, then vanished back into hiding. He looked down at the basin, then outside of the safe area. Unlike the other trials, this one was hidden completely in fog. He wondered if the lamp or trirang could clear out the fog. But when he touched his hip, his sidebag was gone. So were both of his swords and the shield. Well, combat was usually nothing more than a distraction in these places. Link felt fairly sure that his gear would be returned once he got past the trial. But where to begin… there didn't seem to be any options other than to strike out and search, hoping that the soul flame could clear the fog.

A crack underfoot made him look down in time to see the entrance seal break down into nothing. The basin got swallowed up by the fog and there was a feeling that he'd been moved in some direction. Out here, the fog was warm and dim. There was nothing he could see past it, but then no reason to stay here. Link moved ahead, hoping to find something as a reference point.

Before long, the fog seeped into his mind. Fleeting bits of color shifted out of the corner of his eyes, but would be nothing but white if he looked for them. Link turned trying to catch one before he thought better of it. Where exactly was he? This was a feeling like he'd had the past two nights, except that he was alone and there wasn't anyone nearby to give him distracting thoughts.

No, there was a woman singing somewhere to his right. He could find her and ask where to go. No, wait a moment... in this realm of Prism's, that was probably a bad idea. And what she was singing stirred his imagination with heat. He stopped himself from going near her and went away, continuing to look for his goal.

Which was… he knew he was looking for some kind of special fire. Someone put a hand on his hip wanting a different kind of fire. It wasn't someone he knew, but they were close. He shouldn't… he should step away. It took him a moment to get his arm moving to brush whoever it was away and then he nearly pulled them closer. This wasn't right. He was supposed to be doing something, in this dazzling fog that filled his mind and body, wanting him to do other things entirely. No, this wasn't…

He ran for a few steps, then stopped out of a leaden feeling in his legs. Link looked around, searching for something…. Someone….

"Do I have to chain you up again to remind you that you're mine?" Ganon said, pulling him closer.

"Ga…?" he turned his head and saw his face. Those eyes possessed him and wanted him right now. "Ganon? You..."

"Good, you've finally accepted the truth," he said, his lips brushing against Link's cheek now. "You obey me and I'll take care of any desire you have. You like things better this way, don't you?"

Flickers of a nightmare came into Link's mind, of promises he had made to fearful eyes. The fog tried to blur them away again, letting him feel only the passionate grip around him. He remembered last night as well. If he just gave over control, that could be how things were for the rest of his life. And just this morning, he was sure but he thought he'd gotten a glimpse of his lover still there for a moment when he'd first opened his eyes. If he could always be there…

"That's not who I love," Link whispered. He tried to push away, feeling far too weak to get out of his grasp.

"Don't make me angry," he said. What little light the fog had diminished to almost nothing. "You're mine and mine alone. I can give you the world; I can give you everything you've ever wanted and more. You just need to never leave my side again."

His heart tensed into a knife through this surreal fog. "You're the one who always leaves," he said, angry tears nearly coming out. Link pushed back again, this time stumbling backwards when Ganon lost his grip.

And now he couldn't see his way for the darkness as well as the fog. He could hear Ganon still, still confident and enticing. "You aren't getting away from me now, not when you've shown me a whole different light. You love me and you will be mine forever. I will never die and you will always be at my side. Come."

His throat tensed. Link wanted to say that that Ganon wasn't his master. He had promises to keep, and, something to do here if he could just remember what that thing was. Or where he was. He also wanted to agree and give himself over to this fog.

While trying to back off, he tripped over himself. He tried to get back to his feet, but it was getting more difficult to move. Ganon was still there. "You can't get away from me now. I can find you at any time I want. Come, throw away your reluctance and give yourself to me. Otherwise, you're going to regret the pain this gets you."

Was that true? Link trembled, not sure what was going on anymore. He shouldn't be afraid, what was wrong with him? Then a dark hand grabbed his shoulder and made him flinch. "Don't be afraid, it's me," he said softly.

"Who?" Link asked, looking back. But he couldn't see much more of the person near him.

"I'm going to get upset if you don't obey me soon," Ganon said somewhere before Link. It sounded further away.

The one behind him kissed the back of his head. "What is it you really want? More than just right away, something deeper that made you resentful."

Although these whispers were softer than the other voice calling his name, there was an equally strong desire to pull him into a kiss and get completely lost in all this. But what did he really want? If simple pleasure was all it was, then he wouldn't have pushed away. There was an old dream he had of having a family again. Even of just having someone else he loved and knew would come back home before long. Link saw it for a moment, a brighter place of forests and home, hazy like the rest of this dream fog.

Then the darkness overcame him again. Movements and faint colors suggested someone else was there, trying to approach him. "You want what you lost forever," it said in a voice he couldn't get an identity out of. "You can't have such a thing."

Link cringed, crying now. The one with him put his arms around hm. "Are they really going to heal this pain they're inflicting on you?"

The other spoke on as if it hadn't heard. "Come with me, forget your sorrows for a while. Be mine and you could have a life of bliss where everyone adores you."

If he had a life like that, he might not feel lonely. Or would he? It wasn't like what he'd dreamed about. What was right, or what did being right matter? "I, I can't think clearly," Link said, his heart beating faster.

"You don't need to think about this. Do what you want." They invited him closer, allowing him to get back on his feet.

The one behind him let go of the embrace, but kept a hand on him. "Things aren't clear here and you can't think of what you came here to do. I can still lead you to the light you came for. But if they hear me, they're going to get rid of me. Shh, what do you want? To go into the darkness or find a light deeper within?"

Whatever was out in this dark fog could give him bliss. But it also gave him fear, anger, and anxiety. Moments like that flitted around his mind but couldn't be held. It was the same with the person here, someone who gave him sadness, worry, and uncertainty. However, there was also hope for a peaceful better life, something he couldn't have with those in the darkness. "I'd like to follow you," he said quietly to the person with him. "But I can't see much of you."

"It's okay, take my hand," he said. "I'll keep you safe."

Nodding, Link did so. The warmth and light of his dreams was there in that grasp even as they passed through the fog blindly. Other voices pursued them. "Where are you going?" "You're mine, come back." "I've got something for you, come back."

He ignored them and kept following his guide. Before long, something ahead brightened the fog immensely. The fog wasn't as thick here, at least around them. But he still couldn't see who led him here. "This one will hurt, but you said yourself that the one in charge here has put too many people in danger. It needs to be stopped."

That was right, although Link couldn't remember it clearly. "Sure." He took the white flame from where it floated.

A powerful feeling burned through him, making Link tremble again. Thoughts became terribly clear to him,. At some point, he had to overcome his shyness and start talking to people. But choosing to start with a handsome stranger who was actively charming him was reckless. He hadn't been used to feeling strong passions, but it was foolish to let himself be drawn into it so quickly. After learning it had been an act, he continued to believe the one who admitted to lying to him, following the clouded feelings of lust instead of an actual love.

Still close by, his guide said, "It's okay, you can learn from your mistakes. Like you overcame your other faults, you can come to understand what you feel and who you love."

"Yes, I want to," Link said. The pain from holding this soul flame faded, calming him down and letting him feel in control again. Now that he could see clearly for a few feet around him, he turned and tried to find the one who guided him here. "Gale? Where are you?"

"You won't find me in here," his voice whispered, still seeming nearby. "The dragon created this trial by opening up your heart and giving form to all the troubles it found there. I am who you think of when you say you love Gale, but I'm not Gale himself. Still, finding my voice was the only way you could pass this trial. Go on, the flame itself will lead you from here. I'm still with you even if you can't see me."

He looked into the flame and found that he knew the right way to go even if there was nothing to see around him. Letting the light guide him, he walked back and wondered if this was going to help. It was a formidable feeling. He really didn't know who his lover was, or who he would become. Then again, he was going to save a soul that no one else saw as worthy or possible to save. He might have to accept that their relationship was over after that, whether Gale went back to be the king of Sudai or just disappeared to start a fresh life somewhere. Whatever happened, he was going to accept that giving Gale a second chance was enough.

When he saw the safe zone again, there was a twang of grief that made him hesitate. Prism had offered to get him what he wanted. And it surely could, at least what he thought he wanted. His own plan only gave him hope that Gale would prove himself to be a good person and decide to accept him fully in spite of everything. To chose between an uncertain hope or this dark fog… no, it wasn't that hard. Link set the soul flame within the basin.

Like the others, the Prism Dragon went into a disbelieving rage at his success. "How did you do that?! You were mine, there was nothing here to guide you!"

Link felt that a great deal of weight was off his mind. He could be sure of himself in his plans. Not even looking at the furious little dragon, he replied, "A being born of lust like you couldn't see what was there to guide me."

"You're just bluffing," it grumbled. "I know the real nature of you humans, so full of weaknesses and contradictions that you undo yourselves."

"I suppose it wouldn't make sense to you, given that you're not human. I've passed your trial."

"Hmph, don't go rubbing it in. You must be cheating somehow." But even it couldn't defy the rules it was bound by; these dragons were magical constructs, just an imitation of life. "Fiiine, as the Prism Dragon born of lust, I submit my will to you. There, happy? You won't be, continuing on as good and clean as you try to be is only going to make you miserable. You would have been so much better off to agree to be my disciple and find true pleasure."

"I think I can find a better life for myself now," he replied as he was taken out of the testing realm. The road looked the same as before, as did the whirlpool in the distance. Did he want to try going for that tonight?

Laverre was a large city, so he opted to leave the road before he'd be in sight of guards at the entrance. Once he hit the brown sands of the beach, he headed in towards the docks. The most likely people to have seen Twin Fang up close were sailors. And with them unable to sail, they were most likely to be in a tavern near the docks.

He found a place called The Torn Sail that was right in front of a pier full of fishing boats. It looked more like a bar rather than a place he could rent a room for the night, so he'd need another place to stay after the trial. When he walked in, the patrons eyed him as an unwanted stranger in a place where everyone else was a regular. That was fine, since he could be considered trespassing on their grounds.

Looking every bit as rough and sea-worn as his customers, the barkeeper gave him a careful look-over. "What're you here for?"

"I'm looking for information about Twin Fang, the dragon out in the bay," Link said, holding up his right hand so he could see the Septdraco. "I'm going out to get rid of it, but I'd like to know the situation I'm heading into."

"That's a suicidal mission to go on," he said.

"No wait, I've heard of that thing," one of the sailors at the bar itself said. "That'd be the Septdraco, huh? And looks like you've reigned in the six other dragons."

Link nodded. "This one's the last, then I'm after the one who summoned them."

"Well how do you mean to get out into the bay after this one?" the bartender asked.

The whole bar was quiet; all were listening in if they weren't watching. Perhaps they thought him crazy for trying, or might give him a chance for controlling the other six dragons. Either way, he kept calm about this. "I have a horse that runs on water and a Zora diving suit. If I have to get into the water to fight it, I will. They have a seal marking matching this artifact; that's the important thing for me to know."

"Well you're still up against a rough task even if you've got the others," the bartender said. "Though I haven't seen it up close myself."

"A lot of folks in town would tell you that there's two dragons out there," a fisherman near Link said, shifting his chair to look up to him. "But a few of us were out by the mouth when it showed up and we all saw that it's definitely one dragon."

"It's got two heads and ridiculously long necks," another at the table said, putting down a hand of cards so that the faces didn't show. "The damn thing can put its heads on opposite sides of the whirlpool even, but when it goes and does that, its body is closer to the surface."

"And it's a shrimpy body, so it's ridiculous looking overall," the one by him said. "What isn't ridiculous is the amount of control it has over the waters out there. We don't dare sail off the docks at all because it can and has attacked us just seconds from taking off. You probably want to avoid tangling with it in the water if you can, but still be ready for that."

"Does it attack by water magic?" Link asked, since that would make sense of it attacking clear across the bay.

The fishermen there nodded. "Hits with the force of a storm wave even from calm waters."

"Actually, when it showed up, it didn't attack anybody physically," another said thoughtfully. "Only by magic even when we were scrambling to get away from it."

"I'd believe it doesn't have the strength to attack without magic, just nobody's tried getting close up with it commanding the water."

Then it might be helpless if it got beached. Twin Fang would likely do whatever it could to stay in the water. "All right. What about the seal? This kind of ring design should be clearly marked in white somewhere on its body."

The ones at the table there didn't seem sure of that. But another fisherman spoke up, one who had a pair of crutches by his seat. "Ring design? Yeah, I got a real eyeful of that first time I saw it. It's on the one of the necks near its belly. So you might have to get in the water unless you can flip it out on its back."

He nodded, feeling that was enough to give it a shot. "All right, thank you. I'll see about taking care of it now."

"Careful out there now," the bartender said. Some others still seemed unsure of if he was mad or pulling their legs. "You seem sure of yourself, but it doesn't pay to be overconfident."

"I know," Link said, then headed out.

The marking was on one of the necks, but he wasn't sure which one. It'd be near the body, though, so if he got down there, it wouldn't be far to move if he held on. Then again, this was going to be like battling the Zora Eater in the cave. He could easily get swept away by the currents, only this time he could end up out in the ocean. Some of his past incarnations had heavy iron boots to sink down into treacherous waters like these.

There were the armor forms of the other dragons. Sulfur might be too light; the Great Wyrm should be heavy enough, but it claimed to be defensive. In that form, he'd have to find something else to attack with underwater. Clockwork was heavy too and had plenty of options for attack. While Thorn had vines in dragon form, it'd said to take its barbed sword, not the vines. Prism claimed to be a noncombatant, which he could believe, and Rotting would likely be some kind of poison that would spread rapidly through water.

"Just need to sink enough to get to its marking," he said to himself as he got Balrog summoned back out. He first headed out of town for a more secluded part to change into the Zora suit. It'd be useful backup in case he ended up in the water before he meant to be. Although, it did make it more awkward to get on his horse due to the flippers. "Last one, here we go."

Hoping to see some of its attacks himself, Link headed off full speed across the water from where he was. There were two large lumps moving around the edges of the whirlpool that could be its heads. Not long after Balrog's hooves hit the water, larges waves rose up like hands to slam down on him from both sides. They were moving too fast for the initial attacks to hit, which lead to the waves rising faster and further ahead, steering him back towards shore. Spotting a break, Link pulled on the fiery mane to speed Balrog into a turn through the break.

The whirlpool was close, pulling the waters in unnatural ways. A slim orange-pink head with long waving feelers was close by; the other head was a quarter of the way around the whirlpool. The nearer head bared teeth that could be used as daggers by themselves. Even if the fishermen had only seen it attack magically, it had to be bad to get bitten with those jaws. Large watery tendrils rose up to drag him into the fierce currents.

Ignoring those, Link rode right for the head, then dismissed Balrog and dropped into the water. That should confuse the dragon enough to give him a moment to work with. The water grabbed hold of him and tried to take control, but he already had his hand on the blue ring to activate the Wyrm's armor. Thick plate armor soon covered him; it was too heavy for the current to toss him around. While the smooth skinny neck of Twin Fang was shifting in the water, it was close enough for Link to grab onto.

His weight in the armor was enough to drag the head underwater as well. Its hiss shook the waters as it tried to throw him off. Slowed by the metal, water, and thrashing neck, Link pulled his strength together to get hold with both hands and continued to slide down. Then the roar of the whirlpool softened. While it was curious, he continued on his task.

Twin Fang's ploy quickly revealed itself as water began to press tighter against him. The mask from the Zora armor was helping him keep breathing and the Great Wyrm's armor was keeping him protected for now. But as the neck continued on and on, his ears started to hurt and creaks came from the armor. 'Let me live through this,' he prayed silently, searching for the seal. 'I can prove my worth against this dragon; I just need to get down to its seal.' The whirlpool grew even fainter.

Finally, he spotted white on the orange scales. The armor would continue dragging him down, so he kept hold with his right hand and let go with his left to draw the Master Sword. If he had more mobility, he could grab hold with his legs too. As it was, he had to chance pulling himself in with his arm and stabbing through the seal the moment he could.

He landed on the floor with the seal marking and found himself still underwater. The grip of the water loosened, although it remained heavy around him. It made him feel ill, so he spent a few moments letting his body adjust to this place. As he looked around, he felt like he'd been transported into a dungeon this time. Stone arches and coral walls enclosed a large room; sunlight sparkled through the water and brightened all the colors here. It was actually quite pretty, making him wonder if there was a real place like this off the Laverre coast.

He also noticed the number of treasure chests and stray rupees scattered around the room. Had any of his past selves run into a room with so many chests inside? However, this was the realm for greed; there had to be some trick to all this. Link dismissed the Great Wyrm armor and found that he had his gear with him this time. He knew most of it would be useless underwater, but some things could be invaluable here.

As he checked his bag, he barely caught sight of one of the chests with seemingly open eyes shifting its lid. Link looked directly at it and it went still. There were no obvious eyes on it, but a pair of knobs were suspiciously placed on the lid. Keeping wary of that one, he went back to seeing what he could use. There were still some underwater bombs in his bag… the trirang was likely unusable. There was also his magical compass and key. So far, he hadn't tried locating a soul flame with the compass. Although, the one it would have been most useful for was Prism's realm and he'd been denied use of his gear there.

Speaking underwater wouldn't work for him, but the compass seemed to catch onto his intentions when he held it up. The needle spun around once, then settled on pointing him towards a locked door. There was probably a key in one of these chests, but it didn't matter when he had a key that could unlock anything. Out in the hall, he spotted golden jellyfish monsters, more rupees hidden away in nooks and crannies, and a number of old clay pots.

He was going to ignore all that and focus solely on directions from the compass, but then a loud watery crash came from another room. As he turned, a second disruption came from another room. The golden jellyfish darted away from the racket and the armor forms of both Clockwork and Thorn came into the hall. Link swam into another room as quickly as he could before the former sent a fiery beam down the hall, filling it with steam bubbles.

They must expect that he wouldn't have the trouble here that he had in Prism's realm. While he hadn't found the limits, there was the threat of this taking too much time and the dragon being able to overtake him that way. This would make things tough… except, there was a pattern to the dragons' behaviors. Link felt like he could take advantage of that if he could just get to a spot where there was some air.

As the room he had ducked into held no air pockets, he waited for a quiet moment, then darted out and into the opposing room before Clockwork and Thorn had time to attack. Luckily, this room had a surface overhead, leading into an alcove. He got up there and, as expected, there were more chests up waiting to be opened. At least one of them looked like the suspicious kind.

There was also the smaller form of the Great Wyrm lounging in the alcove. "Oh darn, do you always have to find me so quick?" it asked, then sighed. "Well if you're up here, I could tell you where the others are and what they're up to. It could help."

Removing the face mask, Link replied, "I think I know what you all are up to: you're trying to steal me from Twin Fang."

"Why would you say that?" the Great Wyrm asked.

But Link's idea worked. Twin Fang shrieked across the dungeon in rage, forcing the Great Wyrm out of its trial. And when he got back in the water, Clockwork and Thorn were gone too. They might be able to talk their peer into letting them return if they could overcome Fang's greed, so he pressed on in following the compass.

When the compass chimed, he found himself in a room with a dozen white flames. Link swam across the room, still watching his guide. Its arrow unerringly kept track of one in the center. When he took it, it was simply a pleasant warmth in his hand. He found himself thinking on the way back, that there were a lot of things he lacked and the goal he was after was said to be insane and greedy. But he was putting himself through all these challenges to earn what he was after. Greed was an excess; the others were too, in their own ways.

Once the soul flame rested in the basin, the coral dungeon turned into bubbles. Twin Fang brought both of its heads close by, keeping its body far off. "You are a horrible person for making a fool out of me like that."

Link still had his diving mouthpiece on, so he shook his head. They were out to control him as well. However, they had no chance of being anything but evil.

Twin Fang snorted with one head. "It should be a sin to be so selfless, I think. You bring yourself all kinds of pain and suffering for an intangible reward when all the people you're defending will live far better off than you because of your actions. Unfortunately, our creator didn't see things that way at first and we have no peer like that." The head that wasn't speaking gritted its teeth. "So then… you've passed my trial… and that of all the others… and..." it grumbled in trying to hold out, but the compulsion was greater. "And I, Twin Fang born of greed, submit my will to yours." It turned to orange light to return to the artifact, but it got in one last thing. "You had best use us to wreck Demise; that will be the only thing that makes this worth it."

That was a part of his plans. Link readied himself to return to the normal world and swim back out to short. He wasn't sure if he could get on Balrog from in the water. However, the waters around him transformed into the silent temple that had appeared a few times. The seven basins with the soul flames were sitting in an open plaza outside the grand white building. The light was strange here, but not like it had been in the trials. Instead, it was a dreamy sunlight which was warm and somehow compassionate.

Taking off his breathing mask now that he didn't need it, Link looked around the plaza. Was there something else he needed to do here? He looked at the temple again and felt like he should know this place. Some birds being singing nearby, in a green wilderness that was more pastoral than dangerous. Colorful little birds in a place of peace, pure waters… his mind flickered through times disconnected from his. This was the Sacred Realm.

Light footsteps came down the stairs from the temple. He turned and saw someone as familiar as this place. "Hello, Link," Zelda said happily, beaming with a warm smile. "It's nice to see that you made it here! Those were some rough challenges from the dragons."

"I'm glad I got through them," he said, not feeling as nervous as he usually felt on speaking to people new to him. "But, you're not the Zelda I know." For one thing, she had golden blond hair instead of silver white.

"Right, I'm not," she said, thinking through something seriously. That brought up some worry, causing her to bring her hands to her chest. "She got your letter, but she's still angry at you. She says she won't forgive you."

So even if people like the Mulberry citizens were willing to look past the accusations, she would still be a problem. "Ah, I thought that might happen."

"Are you willing to forgive her for that? And other problems she's caused you?"

Link nodded. "Yes, she's lost much that was important to her in all this, like many others have suffered. If I must, I'll leave Hyrule if she remains that upset over me. Though I'd rather avoid it; the kids back in Taven are expecting me to come back home."

"Good, I was hoping you'd say that!" Zelda came up and took his arm, leading him into the circle of flames. "You've chosen a path that wasn't foreseen, a dangerous one. But you've grown much in the past few months, into a better person."

"There's still more I could improve on," he said.

She chuckled at that, stepping back from him. "We all could. For now, I wanted to recognize what you've done in overcoming the trials of the Septdraco. Raise your left hand, please."

Nodding, he did as she asked. The Triforce of Courage shone bright there, right before a powerful feeling swept over him. He may have overcome the sins of these dragons now, but resisting temptations and weaknesses was a lifelong endeavor. Even so, he was willing to do so to keep working towards a happy life. With that feeling, the marking on his hand changed. Two of the triangles were filled in instead of one.

"The Triforce of Wisdom?" he asked, bringing his hand down to make sure he saw that right. Then he looked to Zelda. "It left her?"

She nodded. "It's disappointing. As I said, she is angry at you and even though you explained your reasons, she has not accepted them yet. She has made several decisions and statements that were ill-fitting to the bearer of Wisdom. Since her wisdom was slipping, that anger made the Triforce depart her and seek you out instead."

On one hand, that made things simpler for him. Still, "I hope she can learn from that."

"Yes, I hope so too."

* * *

The regulars at the Torn Sail watched, of course. There hadn't been much to see, first due to the slamming waves and then due to the young fellow dragging Twin Fang underwater somehow. But after a short time, the whirlpool slowed down into a mess of waves. A shaft of golden light appeared briefly where the whirlpool had been. The bay began settling down then, peaceful for the moment.

"Looks like he actually pulled it off," one of the fishermen said.

"Seems so," another said. "I don't see why we had to get dragged into this fight over Hyrule, but at least their hero took care of the dragon for us."

"They've been nothing but a headache; we were just fine on their own."

"If you've got time to be bellyaching, then you've got time to be out checking the boats for heading out tomorrow," the fisherman with crutches said. The others all nodded in respect for him. Looking out to where the whirlpool was, he added on, "Though, don't all those legends say that after their hero shows up and kills the villain, then Hyrule will enter a golden age of peace and prosperity afterwards? In that case maybe it'd be better for us to be considered part of Hyrule now that he has his last fight in front of him."

Some of the others laughed. "Well now, that might make all this mess worthwhile."

The one on crutches nodded. "In that case, somebody with a good boat ought to go out and see if they can't find him. Show him some of Laverre's hospitality and all."

While a number of them still had repairs to do, there were a few boats that were safe for taking out into the bay now that Twin Fang was gone. The waters did not rise up against them, settling into their natural flows. Link was quickly found, treading at the surface and tired enough that he would have had trouble getting to shore. As proof that the bay was safe again, his glove artifact now had seven colored rings all linked together.

On the fisher's pier, he declined being bought some drinks and simply asked where he could get a room for the night. Being a city that thrived on trade, there were a number of inns around. But all the fishermen agreed that the best place was the one with excellent cooks for innkeepers; they made a terrific breakfast for starting a day's work on.

The one with crutches offered to show him the way since he couldn't help as much with the repairs. The whole while, Link had his eyes on the ground ahead, seemingly deep in thought. "You seem awful serious now." While he nodded, he didn't say anything to that. "Got your mind on the next battle?"

"Yes," he said. "It should be the last; I'm counting on him."

The fisherman had thought that the legends that storytellers told were all inflated, that nobody could be like the ideal hero that all the kids idolized. Humans were just too flawed to be that great. But right then, and even back when Link had first showed up in the bar, he could see an inner strength and unflinching courage in the young man. He was human all the same, that much was clear in the weariness that slowed him down now. Seeing that a hero could be real made him see things in a new light. Such selflessness was achievable, and perhaps what was needed to make things a little better.


	25. A Mortal's Power

**Chapter 25: A Mortal's Power**

Was Link staying loyal to him?

It was a strange thought, but it would not leave Ganon's mind. Or rather, his descendant had somehow woken up enough that his thoughts were more noticeable and they kept circling around the hero in ways that Ganon had never considered. When he questioned that of someone, it was because of actual betrayal or backstabbing in a greedy grab at power. It was never because of petty love games that didn't matter.

Though, he would like Link's lustful attentions on him solely, not drifting off to more worthless people. And he would like to dismiss the other in his mind entirely. Normally that wasn't an issue, but this one kept struggling to remain. He should realize the futilely of such desires; Ganon had been sure before that he'd accepted the inevitable. This person's name had been wiped out of history, he should be completely gone and forgotten. More likely, he should have not allowed him to use that name for the letters.

But checking up on Link should quiet the other for a bit. By examining the magic of the envelope bound to them, Ganon was able to locate Link. He was far to the south, in Laverre City at another inn. It wasn't an important place, so he only summoned a few dozen monsters to distract the guards while he warped into the shadows of the inn. As it was near the bay, he noticed something: the dragon Twin Fang was no longer there. That was annoying, since it penned these people in to keep them from escaping this land and disrupted their lives. Still, he could replace that monster and its whirlpool soon.

He got into the room Link was staying him and found that he was in the shower. For a moment, he entertained the notion of going directly in there to surprise him. But humans tended to take that kind of surprise when they were unclothed and particularly vulnerable as as a bad thing. Ganon refrained and opted to take some flowers and set up the area in a way that would be considered romantic. That kind of surprise should go over better.

When Link came out, he noticed immediately and stared across the room. Ganon smiled at him. "Nice that I could catch you alone tonight," he said.

He smiled back, looking aside bashfully before looking back. "I thought you might come." He closed his eyes and stifled a yawn. "I'm glad you did. But, I'm sorry, I'm tired tonight and I just want to get to sleep now."

"After I took all this effort to prepare for you?" he asked, coming up to embrace him. It shouldn't be hard to convince hm, even with him being tired.

"I'm really sorry about that," Link said, taking up the offer and leaning into him. His exhaustion was enough that he'd drop on the floor if Ganon slipped his support away. "Last night was really good, but I woke up early and I've been doing so much today."

"I hope you weren't up to anything with that idiot from last night," he said. The other was thinking that he really should let Link sleep now.

"Nmm hmm," Link mumbled, shaking his head slightly. "He was hiding some wounds that he got sick from and was out with fever all this morning. That was partly why he was coming on to me, I think. And the Prism Dragon was affecting him in trying to overtake him, that too. I took care of it earlier, and Twin Fang not long ago. Sorry, I know you said to slow down, but I couldn't let it continue."

The other thought something, so Ganon voiced it. "No wonder you're tired. But still, I come here and you don't want to spend the evening with me? I could pretend to force you if that's what gets you."

He laughed a little, but even that lacked energy. "No, please, we're not what others are expecting us to be when we're alone like this, right?" Link took hold of his shoulder and added softly, "Though I would like it if you spend the night and be here by me when I wake up."

"I don't sleep, so I'd end up just watching you sleep the whole time," he said.

"You could try it tonight, even if you just close your eyes and let your mind drift. It's really refreshing to nap that way, though it's been a while since I had the chance."

"Still, we wouldn't be doing anything, just lying in bed together. That seems silly." Though 'silly' was a light way to explain it; it was more like wasteful, even if what he'd be doing otherwise was just waiting for the important moment that was fast approaching.

"Please? You might like it." After a moment in which Ganon was searching for some way to convince him, Link buried his face in his neck. "Gale? I… I don't like being alone."

"I'm with you just about every night lately," he said.

"But you're not there when I wake up." He gripped on tighter, trembling for some reason. "I know what's bound to happen. I've been feeling the binds of fate tighten recently. And these nights have become strange, like some dream escaping reality. When I wake up without you, it's a painful reminder that we're not a normal couple. You've been right, we don't have much time left because of what I've done. Still, would you stay with me through this one night? If it does end up our last, I, I want to believe it's not."

Link was strong for a human, but he was still a human with all the weaknesses that entailed. He was willing to accept an illusion for some brief happiness, all to escape a self-defeating loneliness. Accepting one illusion would lead into accepting many others. "Very well, I'll indulge you this once and stay to morning, even if you end up sleeping through it."

"Thank you," he said, pulling back a little to look at him eye to eye for a moment. His smile was a brink of insanity or despair if his words were any indication.

Apparently to help himself sleep, Link hummed a song unfamiliar to Ganon. It was peculiar in how it made him feel, like there was something he should know but it kept slipping his mind. It had a feeling similar to a healing spell somehow. Or it could just be a song Link found soothing and so his humming came out that way. So he could close his eyes and left his mind drift. The song did encourage that.

There was something pleasant about this that wasn't like the other pleasures he'd found in this relationship. Maybe that was why humans clung to each other like this? It was incomprehensible, but he'd given his word so he may as well play along.

* * *

You had to fight to gain power; you had to keep fighting to maintain power. But the battles were dwindling in this colorless world of death. He had conquered all, even destroyed the gods. With the earth rendered infertile to prove his power, there was no one left to challenge him. No being could rise to even half his level. They held him in too much awe and knew they would be crushed if they even tried.

He still yearned for more. In battle, he had learned what it meant to live. The struggle was when his heart soared; the brief gasps of when others tried to fight him did not thrill him for long. Was it worth it to hold back, to guide someone else in a rise to power that would bring joy back to him? These long dusty days of nothing dulled his spirit in maddening ways. But to bring himself so low was humiliation, admitting to a fault of boredom that others would take advantage of. That was not something he could bring himself to do.

The life force of this world was dead, shriveled to a worthless husk and stomped into dust by his own foot. There was one thing that he regretted: not stealing the power of life from the gods. If he could shape the world to his desires such as they did, he could create a world where conflict never died. Even just struggling to attain that power in a world with a strong life force would be better than remaining here as the one who could not be conquered.

And those that followed him would see it as him exerting his power to conquer even more. That was no weakness. There had to be a world out there where he could steal control over the force of life itself.

There had to be a world…

* * *

You could call them the legends of Zelda for how much they centered on the princess, even if only a portion of the stories had her in any active role. But some of them centered exclusively on the actions of the Hylian hero outside of his homeland. And none of them would have happened without some action from the villain. No matter what name he went by, nor what any of them were called, nor what reasons they had, they would be drawn into a battle where the fate of the world was decided. Supposedly.

And his role in all this was merely as a vessel for the force of evil to act through.

Gale found himself in a memory of a strange world where demons ruled. It was a stagnation of death, never changing. But all too similar to the world he'd been born into, full of life and yet just as stagnant if you pulled back far enough away. It was just more obvious here that Demise's power was everywhere.

Being here reminded Gale of the many days and nights he spent reading up on the legends and studying magic. Demise had first appeared to him in the castle library when he'd been sixteen. He could see it now; he was hiding among the books so no one saw how angry he had gotten because of King Albertos' humiliations and restrictions. As the lighting changed to the flickering of demonic flames, a powerful man appeared before him. "I can give you everything you need to utterly squash that fool. You are of my lineage; all you need to do is call on me."

He was a king with no authority, beloved and admired without being allowed to be close to anyone. Yet Gale knew the legends. He knew the kind of power this demon could bestow. "No. I'll find a way myself."

Demise's eye twitched, but otherwise he smiled with cold confidence. "I'm afraid you don't understand. You are of my lineage. You will accept this power." He tauntingly tapped Gale's nose, pulled his hand back, then thrust it right into his chest and strangled his heart. "You are mine and have always been so. You may use my power but in the end, I will get what I want out of you."

No… his mind jerked away and Gale was standing in the barren world again. He'd searched all the knowledge at his disposal to find a way out. He studied to no avail, trained but was never able to draw out his own power. Nothing, nothing, he was powerless. Desperate, he wrote out an idea that quickly dug into his mind. If this was his fate, if there really was nothing he could do, he at least wanted to experience having someone in love with him. It would be someone who cared enough to see his suffering and agree to end it so that others would not suffer as well.

"No, I want to save you," Link said, appearing at his side and taking his hand. The vibrant green of his clothes looked painfully out of place in this world. "I'll be your hero."

"That's not possible," he said, though his grip tightened instead of letting go. "I've studied the legends, I've studied magic and demons and everything. Not even the Triforce can stop him entirely. He's within my soul, there's nothing we can do about it."

"Not even here, within your soul?"

Wasn't this a dream? He was pretty sure it was, though it was surprising that anyone had managed to get Demise to willingly sleep. "Wha...how? Are you really here?"

Link shook his head, then leaned closer and said, "I sent a message through song." He hummed the same song from before, the healing one that he'd put himself to sleep by.

It brought a new breath of life to this dead world, breaking up the cursed land with green wilds. This wasn't Demise's world, but their's. This was his land of Sudai, the grassy hills looking out over the flowering marshes. As the song sank in, he recalled the hopes that had driven him to search out his own path. Could Link have found something he'd missed?

"I will have to do some strange and risky things to guide Demise into doing what I want," Link said to him. "No matter what happens tomorrow, have faith in me. Don't give up on being free to live beyond the legend. I swear that I will do all I can to let you decide your own future. Even if you decide to go your own way, I will still love you and be satisfied with your freedom."

He sounded too final about that. "What do you mean by that? You're the hero doing all this work, you should..."

Link put his finger on Gale's lips. "If this is our last night together…"

Gale shook his head.

"Your life is precious to me," he said. Then he turned into a seagull and flew away into the blue sky.

"Link!" He watched the small point in the sky until he could no longer. "If anyone is sacrificed in this, it should be me."

He didn't come back. But, he had turned into a seagull. Maybe he would have flown to the sea. Hoping there was still a chance at catching him and turning him back, Gale headed off to find the sea. Perhaps he could even find the island where dreams came to life and became seagulls upon dawn.

* * *

Dawn spread over the ashes of Hyrule Castle Town, some small corners still smoldering out of spite. Hyrule Castle stood beyond the ruins, its pristine surfaces seeming to mock the fallen town at its feet. While nothing drastic had changed, little things hard. Peaks seemed sharper, the shadows scattered differently, and the national crest had been turned upside down. Returning home never seemed so ominous.

Of course, they were keeping Zelda out of the main force. Joachim wasn't even here with her, as he'd stayed behind to take full command in case something went wrong today. She prayed for those who were fighting in the city. Unearthly howls and screams could be heard on occasion. But did her prayers have any power now that the Triforce had abandoned her?

She'd given some thought to that, although this mission had taken up much of her time in planning and organizing. It was necessary, though. They had to remove the source of corruption, even if the best they could manage right now was sealing Ganon temporarily while they worked out more permanent solutions. As for Link… he could have been fooled innocently. This failure would damage him badly, but he could be allowed a chance to redeem his mistakes. This situation could still be salvaged.

Or, perhaps their generation was simply doomed to fail and evil would overtake the land completely? It was an awful possibility, but a strong one since the traditional powers weren't helping them. The goddesses might have abandoned them now; they could have been sick of their inability to stop this insane cycle. There were an awful lot of people who acted like divine powers and the laws of the world meant nothing. Someone had even stolen the Master Sword.

But Zelda believed in the goddesses. She believed in the laws, in fairness, and in justice. She'd made a few mistakes, but she could improve herself. She could save Hyrule.

"My queen?" Velken approached her and bowed. "I have a report."

"Go ahead," she said, keeping her hands together in prayer.

"I cannot locate Ganon within the castle," he said. "No one else reports any signs of his presence here currently. The monsters we are engaging are not as disciplined as we expected. Due to this, we've got a foothold into the castle already. I have a group set on clearing the way to the chapel and making sure it's safe to move you there. Unless Ganon reappears here, that should be soon."

"Good, thank you for your efforts," she said.

"It'd be nice if we could find out where he actually is and what he's up to," Rosso said. "We could end up surprised with something nasty."

Zelda had an idea of what Ganon might be up to, but she didn't want to think about him and Link right now. Things could be sorted out when the bigger dangers were out of the picture.

* * *

Before he realized it, day had come again. Someone was nudging his arm gently. "Gale?"

"Mm, what?" A late thought came in that he should blast them for being so casual in that.

When he opened his eyes, Link was sitting by him on the bed. He was dressed in his green tunic today, with a fond smile on his face. "I didn't want to wake you because it seemed wonderful to have you here so peacefully. But I have to check out of this room soon and I can't just leave you here."

"What, was I actually asleep?" he asked, sitting up. His clothes from yesterday were still draped over the table.

Link chuckled and beamed with some soft happiness that couldn't be real. He must have been falling for his own lies. "Yes, with not a peep out of you. Good morning. How are you feeling?"

"A little foggy," he admitted. This would not do. He had to get back in gear quick.

"That's normal, give it a little bit to clear out," he said. Some insecurity crossed his eyes and he tried to pull him closer. "We could get something to eat if you want, if you can make everyone ignore you again. And, if it's okay with you, could we go somewhere else more secluded? Not a town or somewhere with people, somewhere we wouldn't be interrupted. I could give you what you were looking for last night."

So staying overnight was a good ploy. Ganon smiled and rubbed Link's back. "Even if I meant to chain you up again?"

"If you really want that," Link said, embarrassed but still happy.

But such talk had to be held off as they left the inn and looked for somewhere to eat. Laverre City didn't seem afraid. Its citizens were busily getting back to their normal lives now that the dragon in the bay was gone. While there were many around the streets, he didn't hear much talk about the monsters he summoned yesterday. Were they already taken care of? Or was it simply a matter of them being on the other side of the city and not enough to worry these fools?

Ganon was considering if he should do something when Link got his attention. "What do you like to eat?"

"It doesn't really matter," he said.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, smiling like he was having fun with this somehow.

It really didn't matter, since eating was just a mundane necessity. Still, he should keep up the act until there was no doubt Link was his. And for this question, having the other self awake helped a bit. "Though if you have to know, spicier is better."

"Sure, and they might even had some fresh fish now," Link said, glancing around at signs before pointing one out. "That place might work."

Link was talkative today, surprisingly so. It was mostly matters of little consequence. Still there could be something useful to glean from it all, another string to control him with. One notable thing was that he was deliberately avoiding talk about his quest, Zelda, or any other major thing going on in the world. He really wanted this illusion of normalcy to be real. Ganon found himself smiling at a few points, watching him build his own snare.

"Where do you want to go now?" Ganon asked once they were done with the meal.

"Anywhere that someone won't come across us," he said. "Nearly everyone is sticking to cities and towns to be safe. Is there anywhere you like?" He didn't seem like he'd pick any place without some guidance from him, like with lunch just now.

"There's a place outside of Sudai Castle I like," he said without thinking of it too much. "Not in the town, though we'd be able to see them without them seeing us."

"Alright, you can take me there," he said.

When they got there by teleporting, Ganon realized that his other self had chosen this location. It meant nothing to him. He was trying to take back control, which would not do. But bringing Link under his control would be a blow against him too. A little more information was needed… there. "This is somewhere I used to come to be alone, because I'd get easily disrupted if I stayed inside."

Link nodded as he looked over the grounds below them. The castle had been built on higher grounds so that it didn't get affected by spring flooding in the marshes. But to the north, there was an even higher rise that led to rougher lands and mountains. The slope down was kept cleared of trees so there was plenty of warning in case of invaders from this direction. Even so, the two of them should go unnoticed up here.

"It is a nice view over the lands you ruled," Link said, then looked over at him. "You really cared about your people."

"That's just what a leader has to do," Ganon said, seeing a way through this. He took Link's arm. "But now I just want to be taking care of you."

He chuckled for a moment like he didn't care about anything else. However, his look changed into one of concern as he put his hand on his chest. "What's happening to you?"

A silver glow was coming though his clothes. Now that he noticed, he recognized it instantly as chains being formed on his soul. "Some group is trying to seal me out of this world," Ganon said, a growl coming to his throat. He should have really noticed it well before the chains became visible… wait. "Is this your doing?" he snapped at Link, tightening his grip painfully.

"No, I had no idea," he said fearfully. But not afraid of him. That was something he'd seen in other lives, a fear of losing someone dear.

Certain that Link would come after him, Ganon pushed him away. "You better be honest about that. I'm going to show those fools what it means to tangle with me."

And he knew where Zelda and the sages would be now: the chapel in Hyrule Castle.

* * *

Sealing Ganon away without the support of the Triforce of Wisdom meant that Zelda had to tap into the power of her bloodline to make it work. It fully absorbed her attention and filled her with a power like brilliant sunlight. No other thought or feeling could take hold. Weave these chains to bind the manifestation of true evil…

A powerful pain struck as all her weight suddenly fell on her right shoulder. Her trance of magic broke and she found herself hanging by Ganon's grip. How had he gotten in here? What happened to the people outside? Her mind floundered for any answers, difficult to find with his enraged golden eyes staring through her.

"It seems I should have done away with you far sooner," Ganon said, hatred burned into every word. "You're not going to succeed this time."

Then he grabbed her left hand with his. Zelda wondered for a moment if this was all going to be over soon. While she had tried, Hyrule would enter an extended age of darkness. The sight of the Triforce of Power on the back of his hand mocked her.

With a face of disgust, he threw her several feet onto the floor. "You don't even have Wisdom anymore! Ugh, you're completely worthless now." Near her, Rosso summoned out a Zora fin-style blade, willing to fight even handicapped against Ganon. The evil king merely summoned up a smokey black barrier that surrounded the seven of them. "But I'm not going to kill you right away, no. I'm going to stay here and watch as you fools slowly suffocate within there."

Even with that threat, one of the sages came by and knelt at her side. Loraine was Impa's daughter, bearing the tribal markings of a Shiekah even though they were supposedly wiped out centuries ago. "Are you all right?" she asked softly.

"For now," Zelda whispered back. It was a lie, since her shoulder still felt like it was on fire and the rest of her body ached from hitting the stone floor hard. If she was Impa, she'd probably know the lie immediately. Loraine didn't seem so sure but helped her sit up and stayed by her all the same

"And I will be letting everyone know about this just like I let everyone know the truth about your father," Ganon said. Behind him, someone wearing a green tunic and hat slipped in through the large doors he'd left open. The appearance of the hero in a situation like this should be cause for hope. This time, she couldn't tell what was going to happen. "It's about time that Hyrule dies completely. And believe me, I will spare no follower of yours, no matter how much they beg, plead, or fight for their lives."

"No one at all?" Zelda asked defiantly. That had to wake Link up.

Unfortunately, Ganon's head shifted as he noticed Link was there. "If they support you or Hyrule, they're not going to see tomorrow," he said, then turned back to Link. "You got here quickly."

Link didn't respond, still walking over to meet with them.

"Did you know because you were working with them or because it was obvious where they'd be?" Ganon asked.

Zelda felt guilty about that. But without the Triforce, this was one of the few places they could seal Ganon away. "I wasn't working with him," she said, not wanting to admit how pitiful this was.

"I asked you to keep out of this," Link said, stopping near Ganon and looking down at her. But he didn't sound angry or hateful about it, nor worried. If he was feeling anything, he kept it tightly behind a mask of nothing. "Since you didn't give me enough time, this is how things are going to end. I hope we can accept this."

"You can't blame this on me," Zelda said, leaning froward. She wanted to stand, but felt like it wouldn't be a dignified action when she hurt like this. "You've turned your back to Hyrule and I don't see how you can have that sword on your back."

Link didn't reply right off, just kept looking at her impassively. But Ganon was pleased with this, smiling darkly. "That's right, he belongs to me. And it's less like he turned his back on Hyrule and more like he turned his back on you. I don't blame him since you've become quite an unpleasant person, also like your father." He looked over at Link and started to reach for him. "And it's about time we made our true alliances known."

Link looked down at that. His eye twitched a bit in the struggle to keep as he was.

"Link?" Ganon asked, uncertain in a way that didn't belong.

"You've been Ganon all along," Link said. The hush of the room was the only thing that made it audible. Loraine took Zelda's hand; Rosso glanced over at Gregio. The other sages seemed equally uneasy. Whatever was deadly about this shield didn't seem as stifling as that, not yet anyways.

"Yes, but I meant my words when I said I'd take care of you," Ganon said. "You can stay by my side now and nothing else will harm you."

"You can't believe him," Zelda said to Link. "He can't love you as a person, he'll destroy you."

Ganon glanced back at her briefly. "You're not important any more, keep out of this. You might not have been important at all. With that clear, it's time..."

"I was happy with you," Link said. Oddly enough, Ganon stopped immediately and showed no anger at the interruption. "Today seemed so promising up until this happened. I might have left everything behind just to stay with you."

"You still can," Ganon said.

"No." Link stepped away to face him, drawing the sword at his hip. There was no magic to that blade, no blessing from the goddesses. "I don't want to do this, but it seems this is our fate after all. I love you, but," he held his sword up to Ganon, getting a stare of shock in response, "I can't forget why I accepted being a hero. If you're going to threaten the children I promised to protect, I will stop you."

Zelda put her hands to her mouth, trembling in disbelief. "No, that's the wrong sword," she whispered to herself. Was he trying to lose? Why would he do that?

Outside the shield, Ganon snapped out of his shock and became more furious than he had at her. "What are you doing? How… how dare you turn on me with an ordinary blade?! This is not how things are meant to be!"

Link didn't give him words for a reply, instead lunging at him. Ganon knocked the sword aside with his bare hands, snarling like a feral beast. No, not like. His robes tore as his body changed, sprouting fangs from his jaws and a short tail from his waist. Link had to block a flurry of dark fireballs before getting out of the way of a reckless charge. How could Link expect to win against that with a normal weapon? He'd die trying to do the impossible.

In the deadly shield with her, one of the other women went over and fiddled with the magic. "He's not paying attention, so making this less dangerous should be simple," she said. "I could use some help with breaking it and getting all of us out."

"There's an escape passage not too far from us," Gregio said, pointing out a plain looking door to the side.

She got a flask out of the bag on her belt. "I've got a potion to dissolve through magical barriers, but I wasn't about to use it when he was facing us head on and when it might kill us."

"We could get the seal finished while they're fighting," Zelda said, starting to get to her feet now. As she thought, her legs weren't steady.

"You're in no shape to be doing that," Loraine said, keeping hold of her.

"But we can't just leave, not now," she said.

"No, that's our best option," Rosso said, keeping his sword out. "I'm willing to fight when I must, but Link's the only physically able fighter here. Loraine's style won't be good in a straight face-to face battle; Ganon can only mimic a swordsman through his magic. Even if these ladies are master sorceresses themselves, they can't compare. We should break the shield and get out of here, as otherwise we could get caught in the crossfire of this duel."

"Right, we'll get out and try again when conditions are better," Loraine said.

She didn't want to agree with that. But it was the sensible thing to do. If they got away now, they'd get another chance. But what would happen with Link? He'd just decided to fight and they were leaving him behind. The two sorceresses were quietly working out how to break out of the bubble safely, so she watched the battle.

She soon felt that something was peculiar about it. Ganon had flew into a rage at the start, filling the chapel with his magic. But he seemed to be calming down? Or at least not throwing everything he had into the duel. Link blocked him easily, which could be a testament to his skill. While he attacked occasionally, he was being more defensive and swinging like he wasn't going to hurt Ganon. Was this some kind of act? But why? It'd be bizarre if this was all staged, with no obvious point to it.

Somehow, the battle got even stranger: Ganon was pushed back by one of Link's attacks and changed yet again. The fangs and tail melted away, returning him to a more human form. While he summoned out his two spellblades, they were easily parried by Link's ordinary blade. "What is going on with them?" Zelda asked.

"It is strange," Gregio agreed. "Ganon is losing the will to fight."

"Or he's conflicted, so his full effort isn't going into those attacks," Rosso said.

The older swordsman nodded. "Link's holding back too. They really don't want to fight each other."

There had to be some trickery going on. It got to the point where Link was able to push back with his shield to break the spellblades and knock Ganon into the barrier, breaking it as well. As the rest of them scattered back, Link came forward and put his sword in front of Ganon's face. Still emotionless, he looked down and asked, "Do you surrender to me?"

Clenching her fists, Zelda nearly frowned. There was no way that someone like Ganon would surrender, not without it being a trick. He hesitated, keeping his hands on the ground where he could push back onto his feet quickly. Then he bowed his head. "Yes, I surrender," he answered in a humble tone.

It made no sense. Before she could demand answers, a golden shine appeared on Ganon's left hand. The Triforce of Power appeared and, just as Wisdom had done to her, peeled away to leave him. As Link pulled his sword back, the marking of the Triforce appeared on his left hand. Power didn't go far, simply transferring over to Link in recognition that he'd overpowered its previous bearer. It looked as though Wisdom and Courage were still missing.

Something wasn't right. But this time, the feeling was different. There was no anger to it, nor a sense of frustration. It was a feeling that something that appeared innocent was actually dangerous. Ganon cringed, staying seated where he was. And something changed about Link. There was an arrogance that had never been in him before. His eyes were dismissive as he looked at his opponent.

"How disappointing," Link said. "A villain should not surrender; you don't have a pride worthy of your lineage."

"What did you do to him?" Ganon asked in concern. No, that wasn't Ganon. There was something different about him.

And there was something very different about Link. He smirked. "What did I do? You were the one who thought to corrupt the hero. Well guess what? You succeeded."


	26. A Layman's Wisdom

**Chapter 26: A Layman's Wisdom**

Things were not supposed to work this way! It wasn't something he could explain, but he didn't care to try. This was beyond any of his plans, so he'd simply force them to happen. Why did he need either of them? Neither had the pieces of the Triforce they should, so they were completely worthless! The so-called hero was worse than unworthy if he couldn't handle the Master Sword when it was needed. It was time to crush them both. His blood boiled, his flames sought to consume everything in sight, his rage steered his fists; they would all be destroyed.

A song broke through the blinding hate in his mind. The gentle notes wanted to caress him; they put into mind someone who was content with lowering his guard and falling asleep at his side. Wait, that was the song he'd been humming last night. It was a song of healing, directing magic to soothe wounds that could not be seen.

No, he was in battle. He had to remain aggressive. He would win. His enemy didn't stand a chance. He would not be stopped.

The humming pierced deeper into his mind. Another being stirred, not ready to fade away into obscurity. He saw those green eyes, determined but withholding his true feelings as he kept his shield close and his sword pressing on. Wait, he was supposed to win as the hero. Don't crush him! He's fighting for what he feels is important. But why must he fight me?

The beast growled in his mind. This was life or death; this was where only those of true power could thrive. This was the conflict he'd pursued across worlds, the challenge that he had to make happen. He was not going to stop.

When he got close again, Link's humming had changed. It was a song of awakening, a soulful declaration of caring. His father would play that song, and then his mother would encourage daydreams of what could happen to child heroes who trekked across an island of dreams. Joy in the recollection, grief in knowing it was lost; joy in sharing those dreams with an unexpected person, grief in knowing this conflict was inevitable and it was indeed life or death for both of them.

No, he'd wanted someone to defeat him with love, but not anymore. He didn't want to cause him such grief. Stop this!

No, I can't stop. I can never give up; that's a sign of weakness. But why am I feeling weaker? He searched for the rage, but the beast was gone. He was forced to use his spellblades to keep up. But he shouldn't be keeping up in this battle, especially when his opponent had no special blessing to actually fight him. He should be winning.

Their blades clashed. He had two to Link's one, so he could pull one back and cut through. While Ganon tried to make his body obey, Link stopped humming and whispered, "I love you Gale, I will save you."

His heart beat differently with a strong desire to see that be true. He grunted and broke out of the hold. What a fool; there was no Gale to save.

Link blocked his next strike with little effort. "I don't want to hurt you." Then he moved to thrust through to his shoulder. Ganon blocked that with one blade. "I don't want to do this." Ganon lashed out with the other blade; Link caught it with his shield, as expected. "Please, stop this."

Stop this.

Feeling off balance, his arms weakened and Link shoved him down. It wasn't with the same vitriol that he'd thrown Zelda with earlier, but it was enough to shatter the imprisonment sphere. Instead, the vitriol was in his mind against himself as he realized one of them was holding back and keeping them from winning as they should. He'd gotten enough control back to do that?

Link gave a warning by putting his sword tip in front of his face. He could kill without hostility if he was pressed to, but mercy was his preference. "Do you surrender to me?"

The question was insulting upon this humiliation. But that rage was held back. How much control did he have? "Yes, I surrender," Gale said, even though Demise tried to choke the words out and get his own words spoken.

Another voice chimed into his thoughts, like it had been there all along and only chose to speak now. "Since you admit his power is greater than yours in surrendering, it's clear I'm not meant to stay." Then the Triforce of Power emerged from his body and went to reside with Link instead.

Unexpectedly, it was a relief to Gale to have it gone. He'd cursed his powerlessness before, but the appearance of that Triforce had only made things worse. The parting was peaceful.

But it was not peaceful when Demise tore himself out as well. The demon made sure it was painful. For a moment, Gale thought his heart was going to stop out of being ripped in half. It didn't. It kept beating, his lungs kept working; he was still alive. He did feel a lot weaker and the torn robes felt too large from losing the muscle mass he'd picked up on being overtaken. But his current condition didn't matter as much as his being alive.

For now, at least. There was a moment when Link's green eyes turned gold before reverting back. "How disappointing," he said in tones that were all too familiar from within. "A villain should not surrender; you don't have a pride worthy of your lineage."

This couldn't be right. Someone like Link couldn't be overtaken that easily. "What did you do to him?"

He smirked. "What did I do? You were the one who thought to corrupt the hero. Well guess what? You succeeded."

"But I didn't..." he started to protest.

"Shut up," Demise hissed, throwing the sword in his hand so hard that it jammed itself into the wall of the chapel. "You should be dead already. You all will be dead soon and no one will be around to tell your story. You know why? Because I'm not giving anyone the chance to live and tell it now." While he spoke, his hand reached for the sword on his back. "I am finished with this world, so I'll take whatever paltry powers remain to move on to greater..." Link got the sword out, then screamed in pain and collapsed onto his knees.

"Link?" Gale moved without thinking, going over to his side. The gold mark on Link's hand was still glowing. However, the other two triangles were now filled in.

"What was that about?" Zelda asked, confused and shocked.

Some of the other sages dared to come over to check on Link as well. "He was hiding Courage and Wisdom," Gale said. "It seems like he lured Demise to leave me by claiming Power as well. Except, Link shouldn't be easy for the demon king to control. Between the whole Triforce and the Master Sword, he's got Demise trapped in his body."

One of the sages he recognized, Link's master Gregio, shook his head on hearing this. "I knew he had a plan, but I didn't know he meant to go this far. Can he take it?"

"I'm not sure," Gale said, looking back at Link. He wasn't shaking or sweating excessively, but he wasn't responding to them either. "He's got it for now, but a human's mind isn't meant to take such a powerful conflict between divine and demon. He can't stay sane for long, and then one or the other will overcome him."

"We should be able to draw Demise out and seal him as we intended," one of the women there said. "That was always going to be a temporary solution, but it's a better one than leaving him inside a person."

"Extracting a foreign spirit from another can be difficult, but I can help with that," Gale said. Whatever would get Link free now. Gale didn't mind sacrificing himself so much since he had always been marked for sacrifice, but he wasn't going to let Link do the same.

"How can we trust you on that?" Zelda asked, having come closer with one of the others. But she clearly didn't want to be close to him.

That didn't bother Gale. "I'm not going to do anything to hurt Link, you can trust me on that. He's the reason I'm still here."

"Zelda, this is clearly Gale now, not Ganon," the Zora there said. "He looks more like the earlier portraits."

Another sage nodded. "Right, and he's no longer a soul of multiple beings; his life force feels more natural." Zelda showed a moment of frustration about that, but she didn't seem able to argue the point.

Right then, Link mumbled something like he wasn't fully awake. "Link?" Gale asked, crouching down by him.

He managed to lift his head and smile. "Oh, Gale. Nice to finally meet you." Gale smiled back, but wasn't sure what to say now.

"How are you holding up?" Gregio asked him.

Link thought for a moment. "I can't move anything but my head. It's all so loud and heavy."

"We were just discussing about how to get Demise out of you to seal in a safer manner," the Zora said. "It's ridiculous to think you could bind all that power safely within yourself."

"I know what I'm doing," Link said. "Though, this was supposed to be the back-up plan. I should be able to take care of this with just Gale."

"What do you mean to do?" another sage asked.

"Summon Demise into his own body, weaken him with the bindings of these seven dragons, then defeat him that way."

"I'm not sure how that would work, but it seems reasonable," she said, rubbing his chin.

"Can you hold up for that?" Gale asked, concerned that it was really too much for Link to be doing. "I know how the summoning works, and binding with other souls would be the easiest of the tasks. But summoning Demise properly takes hours and some of the requirements..." like offering a sacrifice, of which there was none better than Zelda here even if she was married now, "They're too cruel for any sane person to consider."

"I don't mean summon him properly," Link said. "Doing that would make him one of the most powerful beings on the planet. We need him flawed enough so he can be destroyed for good."

"Oh, well," an improper summons would be a severe insult to the being being summoned, but that was easy to dismiss. And a lot of the summoning rite for Demise was simply stoking his ego and swearing full allegiance. In his current state, though, Demise would not be able to resist a basic summoning. "In that case, it could be cut down to a few minutes and anything needed should be within a place like this." There was just one issue with paring down to an improper summoning.

Link knew it too. "Good. Zelda, we're going to have to ask you to leave."

"What, why?" she asked, glaring at them both.

"Your presence is going to complicate this summoning and empower Demise," Gale said, taking on a courtly tone of cordiality for when he didn't care for the person he was speaking to. "Since I can handle the ritual myself in being his spiritual descendant, I'd rather all of you leave Link and I to this. You can seal up the chapel if you like for an extra measure of safety; that should weaken all of his monsters out there as well."

"You're needed more in restoring the land to how it should be," Link added. "For that, you need to survive today."

"But we could..." Zelda started to protest.

She was stopped by the Shiekah woman getting hold of her and knocking her out swiftly. "She's not thinking too clearly," she said as a matter of fact, lifting her over her shoulder. "I'll simply have to apologize later."

Gregio came by and patted Link's shoulder. "We'll do as you ask, but I hope to see you come out of this alive. Both of you." Link nodded.

"I'll see to that," Gale said. As they walked out, Gale summoned a few things to help in this matter. While equivalents could be found in here, he wanted to be sure of the quality of some items. An improper summoning was going to be an unstable process and these would lessen that. First of all, helping Link to drink a potion. "It's a mana regeneration potion; it should reduce the burden of this on you."

"Thank you," he said, once he finished it.

"Don't thank me yet." The door outside thudded shut, sending echoes into the large space. Gale brushed some of Link's hair out of his face. "Your presence complicates matters too since he could use your blood to come out stronger. But you have to be here, so I'll do what I can to prevent that."

"I'm sure you can do this right," Link said.

Could Link really trust him this much? He seemed to, so Gale was going to have to match that trust. "Are you comfortable like that? You're going to be stuck like this until we get him out."

"I can't really feel much right now," he said. They made sure that Link was at least steadily balanced where he was before Gale went to find what else he needed.

Balancing this between making it work and keeping it as safe as possible… the sages were putting good work into the spell that sealed them in here. The way they were tying it into the structure meant that the chapel was unlikely to fall apart on them. It was up to him to make sure Demise didn't get the power to break out of the seal. The demon's proud nature meant he probably wouldn't overtake him again, but he had to have a physical mortal form.

Gale finished off his preparations by blocking off the windows and leaving just a few candles for illumination. That would make it dark enough for Demise to be willing to come out, although some lighting spells would be helpful once it came to a battle. Thankfully, Link was alert enough to glance at him approaching before returning to a quiet contemplation to endure his ordeal. He could probably hold out for a day, but any longer would be dangerous. And this should be handled as soon as possible if he meant to help in the following battle.

Even so, was it right to just do as little as possible to destroy Demise this generation? He knew pieces of Demise were in others as well. Link was right here with the Master Sword, so that was two others. However, Zelda was the other one that he knew would have part of the demon king. It would help to get that piece as well. He could draw it from her; the sages had made a good seal, but he was sure he could put a cut long enough to call that piece. If these sages were worth their calling, they'd notice and reinforce the seal.

Bring the pieces together; the one in Link had taken a form of its own as Shadow Link, that could be the base for Demise's form. The demon king demanded a sacrifice to empower him. Here, the dragons of the Septdraco could be used for that purpose. This needed to be done so that he took on the weaknesses of those sins rather than the strengths. Doing this went entirely against his magic training; summoning depended on many factors and teachers taught students to be careful.

But this was a once in a lifetime chance to escape a destiny of evil, and to help the man who gave him this chance.

* * *

I am not the one who will be controlled. I am the one to control you all.

 _Bind with Wrath._ You have lost many times from your rage. I may feel kinship but you fall to me.

I do not submit to anyone!

 _Bind with Pride._ You wouldn't fall so hard to wrath if your pride didn't carry you higher than you could handle. You fall to me.

I deserve my pride, you won't bind me.

 _Bind with Cowardice_. You're afraid of losing, aren't you? Enough that you won't admit to it. You fall to me.

I don't know the meaning of fear! You will not bind me!

 _Bind with Greed._ Well well, you ruled your own world and still seek more. You fall to me.

That is not a weakness! It is my right.

 _Bind with Envy._ You might say that, but you have more than you deserve yet you still want what you don't have. Envy and greed do go hand in hand for a deeper weakness. You fall to me.

This weakling is a fool; he can't do this to me!

 _Bind with Sloth_. You didn't work to stop him. You took what work he had done and waited for the rewards to fall into your hands. You fall to me.

Your world is too quick to judge and complain. These are not sins to me.

 _Bind with Lust_. Oh really? Your world honored independence and shamed any reliance on others.

You…!

Tis better to rule over another than to serve another. That was what they said, yet I distinctly remember from when I was trying to tempt Link that you spent several hours watching over him. Wasn't that kind of sentiment considered a sin in your world? Hee hee, you can't deny that. You fall to me.

 _Bound by the sins in your soul, suffer the consequences of your transgressions. Come forth Demise, the fallen king!_

I… will… not… be… bound!

Too late, what a crying shame.

If you were after a challenge, well you're going to get it! We have conquered you and thus we will be reborn…

As dragonflies.

Wait, what, no!

 _Fine, let's go with that. As a reward for their assistance, may these dragons of sin be reborn as dragonflies._

No!

No way!

Hooray!

This cannot be happening to me! You have shown no respect in this travesty of a ritual! I will not come.

Can't say I'm thrilled about our reward, but no. You will be summoned and we will have our revenge.

* * *

"I thought you were on my side."

Link felt like he was trying to drag a heavy weight and getting blinded by the sun. He knew the Triforce was usually considerate; it would keep its power from those who couldn't handle it or would abuse it. But in this case, it had to use strong divine power to keep Demise in place and Link alive. He could tell who was talking to him now. "I didn't give my loyalty to you."

"You showed me something I never thought I'd want. I could make an exception for you; we'd be powerful together."

"No, I don't want the power you'd give," he said. He'd seen what that kind of power did in his dreams: turn people to stone, summon devastating storms that blocked out the sun, corrupt the lands and seas. If it didn't outright kill people, it made life harder for them. Even those he gave power to would eventually go insane or be betrayed. "If I have shown you something you want, consider what love really is and find it for yourself."

"You're mine," he said, losing his cool. "I can make you suffer immensely if you deny me now, but I can make you the greatest human alive if you accept it."

"That is not the love I've been looking for," Link said, feeling magic shift around him. Demise reached for him, being pulled away in a powerful flow. Not affected by the pull of summoning, Link brushed his hand away. "Make up your mind. Don't cling to me when you were just raving about being trapped like this."

With an unearthly scream, Demise was flung out of Link's body. The divine light turned to inverted afterimages, then back to a comfortable darkness. Sound also came from outside of his mind now. "You will both pay for this humiliation!" Demise shouted.

He felt a soothing magic from the Master Sword in his hand. "You shouldn't be fighting in the current state of your body," a feminine voice said. He felt like he knew her and he didn't. That was a voice of the distant past, one he could trust. "Since it's necessary to defeat the demon lord while he is vulnerable too, you will be supported in this."

The sound of magical fire came from nearby; Gale was fighting but staying at his side. Link opened his eyes and found a hulking black beastman with fire for hair leaping for him. Without thinking, he brought the Master Sword up to block the twisted black blade trying to cleave him in two. The hit never connected because Gale knocked Demise back with a sudden explosion between them. None of it hit the two of them while the demon was flung to the floor.

"I built him based off your hostile shadow," Gale said to him, keeping his eyes on the snarling Demise. "How did you defeat it?"

Although he felt a momentary disconnect from his body (he should be in pain from the possession, but felt full of energy instead), Link got to his feet. "A powerful hit will disrupt the shadow's ability to maintain its form, exposing its core briefly. That has to be shattered to kill it. My sword will be better for destroying the core."

Gale nodded, bringing his right hand up with a red glow. "Good, then cover for me."

The air around them distorted; the interior of the chapel was trying to warp into something demonic. Link didn't get a second more to take in the surroundings as Demise was already back on his feet. Putting himself between the other two, Link kept his shield up and watch Demise prowl sideways in looking for an opening. The demon's sword hand shifted; he knew a lot more about swordplay than Gale did. The shoulder first, arm readying for a blow to knock aside the shield… Link countered his motions to block that. An ordinary opponent would then be vulnerable.

Even without the Triforce piece, Demise's strike was powerful. With the whole Triforce, Link found his own counter to be far more powerful than he was used to. He'd need to be cautious even if that power was what he needed now. It'd be nicer if he could have a less risky fight to get used to this condition. Since that wasn't an option, he took a step to the side to keep a defensive position near Gale.

Demise then rose his black blade straight up. That wasn't a normal stance, ordinarily foolish. Here, Link knew he couldn't stay defensive to that. The power that raised could pierce through a defender. He rushed in a feint, pretending to strike at his lower torso. As he'd hoped, Demise dropped the charge motions to counter him. Link halted his movements a moment before he would strike.

Magma burst through the floor underneath Demise's feet as Gale's spell materialized. Much of his shadow body was scorched to ashes, though he managed to keep his head, sword, and sword arm intact. A red glow close to his sword could be a magic counter. While the magma pillar remained, Link spotted the golden glint of the dark heart inside and thrust through it as he had the change. It should have burned him; it certainly blackened his sleeve. He didn't feel it.

Even with the demon's body mostly gone, Demise still pushed him back a couple feet. Even with the heart partly broken, he willed his form back together to keep fighting. Link moved back to where Gale had been. A dark red remained against the brighter magma; Link brought up his shield in time to block a darker mass of magical fire. While he knew he could get out of the way, he took the brunt of it to make sure Gale didn't get hit.

"Are you hurt?" Gale asked from behind him. He'd moved some.

"Keep up your attack spells, I'll be fine," Link called back, moving to keep between Demise and Gale. He should be in pain, but there was no time to acknowledge that.

Fully reformed now, Demise changed back into the wild beast he'd been before. Shimmering chains in many colors wrapped around his body, seemingly broken but clinging tight to his soul. Link didn't try talking to him this time as they exchanged blows. That and his humming had been an effort to empower Gale to act on his own. In this battle, the songs wouldn't be useful.

With another break to the heart, the Septdraco chains grew more prominent. The third break caused them to tighten, limiting Demise's movements. The demon took his sword in both hands and cast a silver lightning bolt through it since he could no longer fight with it effectively. On Link's right arm, his shield cracked in a worrying way. It was well-crafted, but another strong spell or two could break it completely. But there wasn't much keeping the demon's heart together now.

Gale shifted spells for the fourth strike, using a whirlwind of golden blades instead of magma. Giving a feral scream, Demise pulled his sword close in trying to will his body of shadows to keep together. The chains brightened and cleared away a clean opening for Link to cut through. The golden frame of the heart shattered fully to his blow, cutting off the energy keeping Demise alive.

For a moment, Link saw a frail trail of smoke trying to escape death once more. But the seven dragons were determined to keep Demise bound to his fate. Their chains closed in tight, sinking into the dying body to keep the soul firmly in place. Demise's soul continued screaming in fury as his body collapsed and flaked away into ashes. As the chains strangled him, the screams turned shrill and fearful before fading away entirely. Nothing was left; silence surrounded them.

Then Gale came to him. "He's really gone now," he said like he could barely believe it.

"I hope it's for good," Link said, though he wasn't sure himself. But Demise should be too broken to resurrect in their lifetime. He turned to Gale. "Are you okay?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that," he said, looking over him with guilt. "You made sure he couldn't hit me at all; I'm surprised you didn't falter once, even with all your strength. Are you okay?"

The divine powers with him were still supporting him; he could feel their energy. "I feel like I could sleep for a full week," Link said, absentmindedly reaching for his hand. But he stopped himself before he did.

"You probably should," Gale said, hesitant for a moment himself.

"Yeah." His throat tightened then. He didn't want this to be over, but he didn't want to pressure Gale into anything. "I'm sure there's a lot you've got to figure out. You could sneak out in case Zelda's awake again and makes things awkward."

"It'd probably be wise to avoid her, for you too," he said.

Link had looked down already, biting his lip. What now? He was relieved the battle was over; he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do. But the question left him at a loss of what to do or say now. People would celebrate soon, but what should he be doing now? He half-hoped that Gale would just leave so he could go out to report their success, then go home to sleep. If he could sleep at all; there was so much to sort out in his mind now that his quest was over.

Before he realized it, Gale had him in a tight embrace. It really was him this time. "I don't have the words to express what I want to say right now," he said, his voice shaky. "I'm sorry I hurt you and used you so badly. And thank you, I can't believe this is real. You've done what I thought was impossible."

Link wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in his neck. There were tears in his eyes even though his heart felt it was bursting. "I'm glad."

Gale rubbed his back, trying to comfort him this time. "I don't want to hurt you or make you cry anymore."

"No, I really am happy," he said. Nothing else mattered and that finally felt genuine, right. "I, I was prepared to let you go after this, in case you had second thoughts or wanted to be entirely out of this mess. I love you so much; I didn't think you'd want to stay with me."

"I love you too, Link. I'll do all I can to make up for what you suffered through."

* * *

Finding hard stone underneath her, Zelda wondered half-asleep if she'd been captured again. The air didn't smell right for that, being tinged with flowers, grass, and old smoke. There were others speaking nearby, a laugh at something funny. Feeling safer for that, she opened her eyes and sat up. Her body was still sore.

Loraine was soon at her side, if she hadn't been already. "Good to see you awake again. Sorry about that."

"What's going on?" she asked, looking to her. The other sages were here, along with the Sudain generals and some of the knights who had been clearing out the capitol. From that, she knew things must be safe for the moment. They were outside of the royal chapel.

"Link and Gale are still sealed up inside," Loraine said. "But the presence of evil is no longer around. You can feel that, right?"

After a moment, she had to admit that the atmosphere was strange but peaceful. Zelda nodded. "Right. Something else is different too, I'm not sure what." She looked to the door, firmly shut. "They're still sealed in there?"

"Yes, we had to fix it once but it's holding whole now," Loraine said.

"They should be done," Rosso said, glancing their way. "We felt it was better that they had some time to themselves."

That… would be the polite thing to do. Zelda restrained herself from saying anything this time. But what exactly had happened? The manifestation of evil, which was likely Demise this time, was completely gone from this place. What about Ganon, though? No wait, that question felt wrong. What about Gale?

Her shoulders sunk as she realized that Link had been right about him. Who was he really? Now that she could think of the name easily, she recalled a bit of what she'd seen in him before. Gale had impeccable manners and charm, as could be expected of someone in his former position as king of Sudai. While he had a way with words, he kept a certain distance from people. But then her father had forced him to be that way. The young puppet king would speak meekly before Albertos, but a defiant strength would sometimes show in his eyes when he didn't think he was being watched.

A knock came from the inside of the chapel. Zelda got to her feet with Loraine's help while the other sages quickly broke their seal and helped to open the doors. Link looked worse off of the pair, with burns on his hands, a visible crack in his shield, and exhaustion in his face. Still, he had a cheerful little smile as he hung onto Gale's arm for support. And Gale watched their way for him, concerned like he was guiding someone very precious to him. Ganon couldn't truly love another; Gale did, and he was truly back in the world.

"Gale, you're really back," Kimbera said, smiling in relief until she caught herself and saluted them instead.

"Yes, I wasn't myself for the past two years," Gale said, shifting his expression slightly to be more regal in speaking to them. He still held onto Link. "But I am still responsible in part for what's gone on. For that, I apologize and I'll work to make things right as much as I can."

"You had no choice once you were overtaken," Link said, trying to make him feel less guilty about it.

"You both banished the demon Demise from this world, which was more than we were capable of," one of the other female sages, Jacquelyn, said. "We felt it depart."

"I drew what parts I know of into the summoning," Gale said. "Including the curses that were inherited by Link and Zelda here. You and your descendants shouldn't be affected by it. We can't say with full certainty that Demise can't come back to make trouble, but our world should be peaceful for a while. I'm not sure what happened with the Triforce either."

"It left for the Sacred Realm already," Link said. "It should remain unbroken this time."

Gale smiled warmly at him, though his eyes betrayed some sadness at that. "What, before you even got a wish out of it?"

Link wasn't sad or regretful at all, laughing softly at it. "I gave it my wish the moment it became whole; that was why Demise had a few moments to speak through me. You're free of the curse as well, now and forever. I asked the Triforce to make it so that Demise could not come back into the world through forcing himself on another against their will. While it's possible someone someday might be foolish enough to summon him back, they have to ask him back and allow him to overtake them. Or he has to let himself be reborn as a mortal for himself; he's too proud for that."

"Then the legends should no longer be about destiny," Zelda said. This wasn't an ending she had thought possible, but she felt relieved for that. "Good, that's good."

"Could we use one of the guest rooms to let Link sleep and recover?" Gale asked her. "He's been pushing himself to his limits since you two escaped. You can lock me up if you want, I just want him somewhere safe and quiet for now." Link leaned his head over and whispered something that made Gale smile affectionately and whisper back.

There were a few angry thoughts that wanted to retort that he was in part responsible for making this place unsafe. But she checked herself before saying so. "Has the castle been fully cleared for monsters?"

"Yes, my queen," Leonidas said respectfully.

"Go ahead and take Link to one of the nearer guest rooms, and post a guard in the hall just in case," Zelda said, setting herself back into a leader's mindset. They had been right about that too. "Gale, Link, we'll talk over what's gone and later; please stay around the castle for now. I won't lock you up, Gale, just I'd rather Leonidas, Kimbera, or Velken were with you while you're here."

"That's fine," Gale said while his former generals nodded in agreement. There was a risk in that they'd simply let him go if he wanted to leave. But seeing how he was now, walking with Link to make sure he was taken care of, Zelda didn't think he'd leave until Link did.

"Then what should be doing now?" Loraine asked, looking to her.

"We should check on the presence of remaining monsters in our lands and prepare for rebuilding," Zelda said. The evil that threatened Hyrule was gone, but in repairing the damage and more, her work was just beginning.


	27. Recovery, Rebuilding, and Reckoning

**Chapter 27: Recovery, Rebuilding, and Reckoning**

In the next room, there was a gathering of provincial leaders. Zelda and Joachim had called them in; Link and Gale were going to join them soon. Was this going to go well? Link wasn't too worried about himself. Taking care of the dragons was sure to put more of the leaders in his favor. But it was hard to say how they would take Gale. He could have left already since those watching him were sympathetic.

A noisy clatter came from further down the hall, making Link tense up even more. Glancing over, he noticed that it was just someone letting an old door shut heavily. The sudden loud noise had reminded him of the Clockwork Dragon a bit too much. He leaned against the wall and focused on keeping calm. It wouldn't do to be jumpy around all the nobles in there.

"I can still speak for you if this makes you too uncomfortable," Gale said.

Link shook his head. "I can manage." When Gale came closer and took his hand, he sighed and quietly added, "I'm glad I didn't have to fight my way through these halls; a castle full of monsters is a daunting challenge. There was enough close calls as it was, especially with the dragons."

"You would have managed it fine, I'm sure," Gale said.

"Might have." Trying to make light of it, he chuckled at himself. "Although I didn't really do much in the way of dungeon exploring, especially compared to my predecessors. I'd like to, especially in places few others would dare to go. I don't mind the risks," as such places could be deadly to the ill-prepared. Facing death didn't intimidate him… except that it did remind him of moments that had terrified him. Link rubbed at his neck. "Just so long as I know they're there."

"I won't hurt you like that again," Gale whispered, leaning his head closer. They'd already talked about this; Link wasn't going to blame him for it. But when he shook his head, Gale squeezed his hand. "You deserved to be honored by the heavens for putting up with all that and I will treat you like a prince among angels for the rest of your life."

How could he talk like that out here where people might overhear their whispers? Link laughed at it, then tried to stop. "I..." it was on the tip of his tongue and he was already blushing. But there wasn't anyone right by them, so, "I don't think you mean that so purely."

"That's true," Gale said, smiling at him as Link had to put a hand over his mouth to not laugh too much. It did work to break him out of the bad memories. Then he spoke more conversationally, "Actually, I got a few minutes to speak with the representatives from Laverre. They knew of the coral palace you saw."

"So it is real?" Link asked, interested to hear about it. He might even go speak to them himself later.

He nodded. "It was a fancy of a wealthy lady in the past; it floated on the waves at first. But her arrogance and wasteful ways with money made her enemies even among her family. Nobody's entirely sure how it got dragged to the bottom of the sea, but sea monsters and ghosts dwell there now. People have tried to solve the mystery of what happened there, but no one's managed yet."

"That would be interesting to investigate," he said. Perhaps even the chest monsters would really be there? He could see the chests being enchanted for extra security, then such a tragedy making them into monsters.

"Between the two of us, it should be no problem," Gale said. "And by the time we get done with that, the ships should be back to regular routes, so we could easily take off to another land."

Link smiled at the thought. But there was another issue with that even if they got through this meeting fine. "Sure, but I really should check back into the orphanage. I promised to try getting at least one of them back to their hometown. And don't you have some business back in Sudai?"

"That shouldn't take long, I took care of most of it like it was my final business," he said.

"There's also one of the kids I'm worried about," Link said, keeping a quiet tone. "Challenging the Prism Dragon was something of a nightmare for me. Before I met it, it had enveloped Taven in its fog. Everyone seemed all right at the end of it, but the dragon had taken one of the boys deeper into its illusions. He's around eleven if I recall right, so I don't know how much Prism could affect him. Still, it can't be good."

Maybe it would mean putting off his traveling for a few years, but he'd taken on this responsibility and felt there was more he could do to keep the kids safe.

* * *

"I want to formally apologize for casting suspicion on you, Link. Any questions of your loyalty will be erased from the records and you will be honored as you should be, as one of the great heroes of our land." She'd already apologized to him, but stating it in an official meeting to get it written into the records was proper.

It had been a week since the fateful battle with Demise; Link was starting to look better, not as weary as he'd been any time he'd tried being awake for long. He gave her a respectful bow. "I hold no grudges against you, but thank you."

However, that was the simple part of this meeting. Zelda had called on the provincial leaders to discuss the plans for their nation's future. Little would be made official yet, but she was already seeing signs of what was coming out of the others. What was going to be official was happening right now: the apology to Link and a decision on what to do with Gale.

Zelda had already made the sages who responded to her into official royal advisers. Her failings in keeping the Triforce of Wisdom weighed heavily on her mind and she wanted their continued assistance. But since she had, that lead the sage Jacquelyn to argue for Gale in this meeting. Which was fine. Zelda didn't want to make a fool of herself again and declined to participate for this section for the most part.

"Gale has been living under the influence of the demon king Demise for at least the past five years," Jacquelyn explained to the representatives who were there. "Any of his deeds, even his thought processes, had to be made under the oppression of an evil being. While it is difficult to ascertain when he was eclipsed as the one in control, any of his decisions and actions were not done entirely of his own will. It is more proper to see him now as an entirely different person "

"But he must have had some influence on their decisions," one of the other leaders said. She was from a province that neighbored Sudai, one that hadn't been on good terms with that land for many generations. "He must accept some responsibility for his actions. And if he was overtaken once, he can't be trusted as a leader anymore, nor his people for following him."

"I never said I wasn't responsible for what happened," Gale said, with regret rather than anger. It surprised the woman speaking against him. "It was a matter of holding back on what transpired with what subtle guidance I could give. Demise wanted to start off with razing Hyrule Castle while everyone still lived there, followed up by cursing every land under its banner with famine and disease. Yes, I did work to plan out an invasion of central Hyrule. I won't deny that. But I don't want the people of Sudai to be blamed for what I did under demonic influence."

"The Sudain forces themselves acted with honor and respect as fitting for soldiers," Gregio said. "They did not act excessively cruel. Any acts that were cruel, such as the public execution of the former king and queen of Hyrule, can be traced to the demon king's actions. While they did desert their leader, they worked admirably to keep the peoples of Hyrule safe afterward."

Zelda felt like that was something she should speak up on. "Yes, they should be respected for their actions in the past few months. We have no intentions of blaming the people of Sudai and will offer the Falcon Ring back to them if they so wish.."

"I do not wish to reclaim it," Gale said, causing surprise in many of the others. Although, Zelda expected this from watching him the past week. She had expected to dislike him entirely even if she accepted that he was not Ganon. But this regal grace was something to be admired. She really needed to be capable of matching him like that if she wanted to live up to her legacy.

While some of the others continued to argue on in wanting to blame Gale for everything, Zelda glanced over at where Link had taken a seat to the side. He had dozed off in spite of the debates around him, a peaceful look on his face. She envied him a bit for being able to keep out of this, relaxed while major political movements were made around him. Then again, he had suffered a great deal in this, including for things that were her fault. Even this public and official apology didn't seem enough to make amends. She wished she could do something more for him.

But he wasn't interested in anything she could offer him. Link had already decided to put the Master Sword away, somewhere back in the thief's den after he'd done some modifications to make it more secure and proper. He wasn't interested in money or treasures; he'd only asked that she review adoption policies to make sure that it was easier to find permanent homes for the orphans he'd lived with. While that wasn't much, it mattered a great deal to him. Zelda had put it on a higher priority as a result.

Perhaps he really did have all that he wanted already. Gale was giving up his claim to royalty as part of his accepting responsibility for what had happened. However, it couldn't be denied that he was also doing so because he was refocusing his life on taking care of Link now. He'd not said anything, but it was obvious to Zelda. She'd seen him pacing the halls outside the guest room, not wanting to go far but not wanting to disturb him either. And when Link had been able to walk around some, she'd seen them outside. They'd been sitting on one of the garden benches, talking like any other sweethearts. Most everything Gale had been doing lately was for Link's benefit.

After some more discussion, only the one leader wanted to see Gale punished for Ganon's deeds. The fact that he didn't want to retake his position as king helped put others on his side. Time would tell if letting him go was a good decision.

* * *

Looking at the pieces on the board, Gale felt like his father had been going easy on him. His line could have easily been broken in several locations. His father had been teaching him the game not through beating him or pointing out his mistakes, but through encouraging him to think ahead and look at both sides. Or perhaps he was simply recalling the positives of what things were like years ago. The game had been suspended for the fatal meeting.

Everything about this room felt positive, a golden nostalgic glow. But outside this room, anywhere else in the castle, that was a different story. The banquet hall reminded him of when he started speaking words that weren't his own; his bedroom brought back times he'd lashed out in there, so full of hateful thoughts that he believed he could contain there. There was that balcony that made him think of blood and tears. And of course, there was the place in the library that made him hold his breath even as he tried to cast away that fearful respect.

There were good logical reasons for him to renounce his status as royalty. It was an acceptable proof that he was no longer driven by a lust for power. But personally, all the nightmares that filled his mind just in being here was reason enough for him. Gale took away his old note to leave the board alone and put away the pieces himself.

So many nostalgic things were here, memories of his family's love. They had been a great comfort when he'd been struggling on his own. But then, he wasn't on his own any more. He was going to start a new life. As much as these things reminded him of good times, they were things that would only weigh him down now. Especially considering how they meant to live; nostalgia alone was not enough to keep something around.

Even so, he could think of a few small things he wanted to hang on to. Link already had one of them; the old book about Koholint was now a reminder of how blessed he was. On the more practical side, there were a pair of linked gossip stones among his mother's jewelry. They'd make it easier to split up on the dungeon explorations, to keep track of each other. Also among that jewelry, he located a locket with two miniature portraits: one of his parents together and one of himself as a child. It was enough of a reminder to him, as well as something he wanted to offer to Link at some time.

With those things reclaimed, he was done here in Sudai. He'd spent a few days speaking to the various towns about continuing to be a part of Hyrule. It seemed like things would be fine. A few grumbled about not regaining sovereignty, but most accepted his reasons for leaving Joachim as their king. Now that he was done, he warped over to Taven.

This town, as with others he'd seen in the past week, seemed quiet and normal now. People were relieved the danger was past and getting on with their lives. While the adults worked in the forest and their businesses, the children played games in town. It surprised him a little that they were moving on so quickly. Maybe it was an act, or it could simply be that he remembered nothing from times like these. If it was the latter, then it was a good sign for the future.

He found Link with one of the boys by the orphanage; they were off by themselves talking. "Hello," Gale said, waving to them.

"Hello, you done already?" Link said, waving back to him.

"Right, I didn't have any trouble."

"Is this Gale?' the boy asked, looking up at him.

"Yes, that's him. And this is Marley, the boy we talked about the other day."

So this was the child who'd been captured by the Prism Dragon. Marley smiled at him, seemingly normal. But Gale sensed something off about him. "Hello, nice to meet you. Mind if I sit with you?"

"That's fine," Marley said. "We were talking about if Link could adopt me, but the headmistress said no."

"We'd have to wait a couple of years because I'm just nineteen," Link said.

He nodded. "I see. Although I'm twenty-two. Since we mean to travel together, would that work out?"

"Oh yeah, that's why she said he couldn't," Marley said eagerly.

"They'll want to ask you more questions than me," Link said, although he smiled too. "But then we could head out in a couple of months instead of years. Zelda changed the regulations so we can send the kids back to surviving family members if they request it. Sometime next week, we'll head out to start doing that."

"That's fine," Gale said, thinking that he wanted to send the boy off for a few minutes. It'd be good to get to know him, to make it more likely the orphanage would accept his request. But he wanted to speak with just Link first. "But are you going to be able to keep up with us? We mean to explore mysterious places all around the world."

"I can help," Marley insisted. "I've been learning with Gregio, and I can even get to the middle of Trickster's Grotto without getting lost."

"Then you won't mind if we set up a test there to make sure?" Gale asked. "We'll have to discuss it without you, of course."

It worked to get Marley to go back over to the other kids for a while. Link seemed to be thinking the idea over. "Gregio says he's been doing acceptably well with a sword for his age; the other teachers say he's been going into the woods the past few days. They haven't noticed anything particularly wrong or different with him other than that. But then, there's a lot of kids here to watch over."

"What do you think in talking with him?" he asked, looking over and taking his hand.

He looked back over at the kids in concern. "I did get him to tell me what happened. It was nothing directly sexual in nature and he slept through most of the kidnapping, which is good. But then, Prism had told him that it could make him really popular and liked by everyone." Link turned to him. "We're not as isolated as you were, but that would be a strong temptation for any of the kids here."

Gale nodded. "Of course."

"There's nothing obviously wrong with him from that, but I still feel like something's not right."

"I can say that there's a problem remaining with certainty," Gale said. "I wouldn't want to tell anyone except you and maybe one of the teachers you trust, but there is a weakness in his soul now. I would theorize that the Prism Dragon meant to put a curse or another malicious enchantment on him, but didn't have time to complete it. What's there could be easily undone, but that weakness could remain for a long time, leaving him vulnerable to other curses or spirits."

"Then he really does need someone to keep a close eye on him," Link said.

"Although his age is an important factor. As he matures into an adult, that weakness could be fixed naturally, or it could be made even greater for the same reasons. Either way, yes, he would be better off with someone who knows about the issue and can pay more attention to how he develops."

"Are you okay with adopting him in my stead?" Link asked. "Though that could be complicated due to what's happened. The headmistress said she was okay with me adopting him except for the law doesn't allow it, but they don't know you as well."

Feeling like this was a good point, he brought out something from the inside of his cloak: an unusual lotus had had a few heart-shaped red petals among the white. "Would they be fine with it if it was you and me?"

"Is that the heart lotus?" Link asked in surprise.

"Yes, although the Marsh Queen had to use magic to get this one," he said. "She's well enough to get back to her manor, but it'll take some time for her to get her garden back fully."

He touched the flower and closed his eyes, seeming to listen to something. He would understand magic best through song, Gale thought. After all, that was the best explanation for how he could get something like the Song of Healing to work with only humming. He might be able to hear something from the magical flower. "You must be sure of yourself if she did that," Link said, then took the lotus. "Sure, they should accept the both of us as his new parents. But aren't you royalty? I was told this was an offering for marriage among the regular citizens."

While he'd not doubted the flower would get accepted, Gale still smiled in relief. "I might be of royal blood, but I'm no longer considered such since I gave up claim to the throne. And since you'd spoken with the Marsh Queen, I thought you might have heard about it."

Link chuckled a little and touched his pointed ears. "You're still a Gerudo king."

"Well that doesn't count either," he said, then laughed with him. "Really, I told the women of the tribe a long time ago that I wasn't raised with them, so it was better that they rule themselves. I want nothing more than to start my life anew. And since I owe you this new life, I want to stay by your side. It's more outrageous that I, given who I was, am proposing to the traditional Hylian hero."

"It was just the roles of a legend that's past now, I don't care about that," Link said. "Actually, how about you come with me when I escort the children who are going back to their families and other new homes? They'll be sending along one of the teachers to watch over them, so they'd get all that time on the road to see how you are now. We could invite Marley along as a guard too, so we have time getting closer to him as well."

"That sounds good," Gale said. There was a burst of laughter from where the children were playing, including the boy they were talking about. None of them seemed to have a care in the world now. If the staff here wasn't sure about him and still wanted to wait until Link was twenty-one, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to live around here a couple of years either. "We should still figure out a little trial for Marley to take, for whenever we're able to leave together."

There was a sunny peace to Link's smile at that. "Sure, doing something in the grotto should be fine for that."

* * *

It was a year after Demise had been destroyed.

There had been no major conflicts in that time. A few outbreaks of monsters popped up early on, but fewer were being spotted on the roads now. While that alone would have made Hyrule more prosperous, the lands were flourishing far more than that removed obstacle could explain. Perhaps this time was truly blessed? Zelda still found a lot of work on her hands as the queen ruling over so many different peoples.

'Your first year of rule has shown magnificent promise as you deftly lead us all with grace and wisdom befitting your legacy...'

She sighed as she read over that line in the letter. "You are laying that flattery on thick; there's much more I need to improve within myself." As she was skeptical, the rest of the letter started to amuse her. "And you are in for such a surprise; I hope you're not counting on this."

The door opened as Joachim came in, hands full of his own work. But he paused immediately on seeing her there. "Zelda? Are you sure you're fine with working again?"

"It's fine," she said with a smile, meeting him with a hug. "I'm just reading over letters."

He returned her hug, not letting her go for a moment. "Some of them are funny about that, actually."

Zelda giggled. "I know! I was just reading this one from the lord of Laverre." But some of that did dampen her mood. "I know why they're staying with us when they've been fiercely independent before. And why all of the provinces have been praising us and swearing to be loyal when they grumbled about my father behind his back. A lot of people believe we are in a legendary golden era now."

"Well you are working hard to make that true," Joachim said, rubbing her back. "A little too hard, I think. You really should relax, especially now."

"I have to make up for my parents' actions, and my own." She held onto him quietly for a moment. "I'm really grateful you're here with me; I couldn't do as well without you."

"I feel the same way," he said. He pulled back to look at her and smile. "Was there anything particularly funny from this letter?"

That did lighten her mood. "Oh yes, they were proposing that one of their young grandsons be betrothed to our child." Zelda shook her head, but smiled. "As much fun as it would be seeing some of this shock in person, I think we should put out an announcement about our son before his coronation as prince. All the guests from outside the castle are going to bring gifts worthy of a princess otherwise."

"I suppose, even if it would be less fun," he said jokingly.

A thought that had been nagging at her came back. "And, I think I would like to send one to Link and Gale; they were thoughtful enough to send us their wedding invitation. It'd be good for them to know a concrete proof that the curse on us is gone."

They probably wouldn't show up for the coronation like the two of them hadn't come to the wedding. Link and Gale might even be out of Hyrule by now, off on some adventurous life together. Along with the loss of the curse, she wanted them to know that she forgave them. If she hadn't let herself get carried away with her emotions, maybe things would have been easier on them.

* * *

The Laverre Coral Palace was seven floors in total; four of them held enough air pockets to allow for normal navigation. Link was by a pool on the first protected floor with a map, making markings on the underwater floors. While the map was resisting the water droplets coming off his diving suit, it'd been harder to make these notations underwater. He was sure of his memory.

Footsteps came from nearby stairs, making him smile. Gale and Marley had been exploring the floors without water since they hadn't found diving gear suitable for a child even in Laverre. Actually, diving wasn't that popular here due to murky waters. There wasn't even a Zora settlement nearby, which struck Link as a little odd. But what he'd seen might explain some of that.

"I'm over here," Link called over when they opened the door. He'd already dispatched the monsters in this room before adjusting his map.

Gale smiled in relief on seeing him. "Ah, you seem to be fine."

"Sorry," Marley said, coming over. "I hope we didn't get you in much trouble."

Giving a shrug, Link said, "It wasn't a major problem, but that switchboard controls some gates on basement two. Actually, I realized that I wouldn't make any more progress down there until we figured out the system for the gates, so I want to show you what I saw down there."

Gale sat nearby while Marley crouched down and watched them discuss the gate system over the map. Link had notice four colors to the gates in the underwater sections. In the switch room they'd found on floor two, there had been three switches that opened or shut the gates. The red, blue, and yellow switches definitely operated the gates of their colors. However, the gate that shut Link out from the rest of basement two was white. There was either another switch somewhere in the palace or some combination of the three switches would open the white.

"Did you find a way into the third basement yet?" Gale asked. "The mechanisms for raising the palace above the waters should be down there even if the controls are upstairs."

Link shook his head. "It's going to be past the white gate unless there's a hidden passage elsewhere. I did hear some signs of what's below; it can't be that big of a sea monster in the space it has to depart, but it's definitely made a den down there."

"We might be able to help from the control room," Marley said. "Cause there was a panel with faded writing that suggested a basement defense system."

"The builder of this place was really eccentric," Link said. Although, it was comparable to dungeons that were supposedly temples and yet full of traps.

"We're not sure what all those controls would do," Gale said. "I'm sure you can handle the monster yourself, but send us signals through the gossip stone if you want to try them. And don't take any unnecessary risks."

Link smiled at his concern. This life was working better than he'd dreamed of, letting him follow his dreams of being an adventurer and having a family at the same time. "Of course, I'll let you know."

* * *

Many years later, there was a slight panic when an oracle revealed that eight beings of evil had been reborn into the world. It was only slight because it was then revealed that they were just dragonflies, not capable of the realms of thought that brought about evil. What could evil dragonflies really do?

Four of them got eaten by fish in their larval states. One was eaten by a frog before it could take flight, while another got snapped up by a bird for flying too high. One of them, bearing an evil more ancient than the rest combined, got killed by bees by following thoughts incomprehensible to it that wanted it to gain minions. Such short brutal lives distanced their souls further from what evils they committed and most of them left behind their inherent evil nature as a result.

And the eighth dragonfly of evil lived a long contented life of four years, dozing off in the sunny waters as a larva and lazily floating on the breezes as an adult. But for a dragonfly, that wasn't evil at all. It was simply a good life.


	28. Postscript: War in Another Land

**Postscript: War in Another Land**

The city was in chaos, flames sprouting up everywhere. Monsters came from the smoke, preying on any who hadn't fled at the first sign of trouble. Why would anyone do this to their own capitol? The people here lived their daily lives, causing no trouble to others. There was always talk about how the twin queens were not as cordial and fair as they made themselves appear. While people wondered if it would fall apart, they didn't expect it to affect their lives. The trouble should have stayed within the castle.

A horse ran through the blazing streets, kept from panicking with the sheer trust she had in her master. A young man with black hair held the reins; his gray tunic stood out amid the bright colors of fire. Behind him a young woman gripped onto him tight, her face buried in his shoulder. She had insisted on staying behind to try saving her store, a cathedral, and other important places. But the flames were fueled by a malicious magic that sought to destroy all.

Spotting a darker street, the rider turned his horse that way; there should be a gate out of this city not far from there. But a wall of flames erupted in their path, causing the horse to whinny fearfully as she was turned around again. He looked around for another way; this horse wasn't good with jumping, so going through the flames would burn her. However, the walls quickly surrounded them. They'd been found.

He cursed under his breath right as he saw a dark figure walk through the fire. "There you are, dear sister," the woman said, pleased at the discovery.

"Is this your doing?" the woman on the horse asked, coming out of her grief with anger. "How could you do this to everyone? These are our people too!"

She chuckled at the outburst. "The ordinary rabble? We'll find more loyal subjects to do their work, less demanding creatures who won't gossip and complain. Contessa was using them against me. She was using so many, I had to stop her."

"It's not all about you two," she argued. "I left the court because you were getting ridiculous, but I didn't think you two would go this far."

"Silence, fool," the dark queen said. "Even if you did leave, you're a rival as well. I can't leave you a chance to get any power over me now that I drove her away."

The young man drew his sword. This was a bad situation, but if he could distract her into making a break in the fire, they could still flee. Could he stay behind and fight to let her leave? That could be the way of a hero… no, he had to stay with her and keep her safe. It was no good to act like a hero if the person he was defending was still in danger. "You leave her alone!"

"You're no knight, just a lonely drifter and nobody," the dark queen said, angered that he was trying. "Both of you, out of my sight and out of my life!" She waved her hand, causing darkness to warp them away.

Where was his horse? He'd landed on a springy ground of white fibers and dirt; it was like a carpeting of spider webbing. Although he was worried when he didn't see his horse, he turned to his human companion. "Elise? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Marley," she said, looking around the tunnel they were in uncertainty. "I'm sorry, I should have done more than just run away..."

Marley put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about that for the moment. We need to figure out where we are and get somewhere safe."

"I think this is the Spider Queen's Den, from all this webbing," Elise said. She had a point; this might be a cave, but the walls were barely visible under the thick grayed webbing. Some parts were a brighter white than others, perhaps more fresh.

Spotting a ledge where the webbing seemed to end, he nudged her in that direction. "We should get off the webbing if we can."

"Oh, have you been here before?" she asked, walking alongside him.

"No, but if monster spiders are like regular spiders, we should get off." The ledge was just high enough that he had to help her up there; she didn't have the arm strength he did to get up on her own. It was mostly dirt path here with just a few large strands of web support.

It was only a few feet over, but it was enough to alert the residents. Two spiders the size of bears scuttled through a tunnel of webbing in search of them. Dark gray fur covered their black carapaces, and a few human skulls were worn like trophies. Hoping to deal with them quickly, Marley used his off-hand to cast a fireball spell at one. It screeched and was stopped, but not killed. Elise backed off to the wall, trying to keep brave even with her lacking the ability to fight like him.

There was just enough time to cast another fireball and kill the one spider before the second jumped for the ledge. Marley slashed it to stop it from making the jump; it spat white goo at his face, nearly hitting his eyes. Not bothering to wipe it off yet, he put a quick fire enchantment on his sword. It wouldn't last long, but it was long enough to destroy the monster with one more thrust.

And then his vision went blank gray. He grabbed at his face and found a band of webbing covering his eyes. When he grabbed at it, intense pain rushed across his forehead. "Aaah!"

"Marley?" Elise walked over and took his hand; he turned towards her. "That's bad."

Forcing himself to keep composed, he let go. The pain faded. "It doesn't seem to be growing any further; I can't see at all."

"Th-these spiders use that webbing to enslave people," she said, afraid. "It usually takes a few days and it can be gotten rid of. But, I can't fight like you and I'm not sure where to go to escape here."

A few days… in his case, it might take less time. Marley still didn't want to give up. There was a good chance they could get out even like this. "Don't worry, I have an idea. Is there some small room or nook away from the webbing? We need someplace to hide for a short while."

"Um, looks like there could be." She took his hand and guided him. Marley heard the distinctive faint ring of a light spell being activated. "This looks okay; I don't see any holes or something another monster could sneak through. No webs here either."

He would have liked to see the place himself, but that was out of the question. "All right." He then opened up his side bag and searched through it. What he wanted should be obvious, a crystal on a leather cord with some beads. Feeling the smooth harness of crystal, he pulled it out. "This should be my gossip stone," he felt for the beads. Finding it right, he activated it. "Good, this should work."

"I thought the gossip stones were stationary things that only a few people can understand," Elise said.

"This version lets you converse with others who have stones of the same set," Marley explained.

The stone vibrated lightly as it got a connection to another active stone. Link was the one who answered. "What's going on, Marley? We can see the capitol burning from here."

"I got out of there with Elise," he said. "Well actually, we ran into one of the queens responsible for this and she teleported us into the Spider Queen's Den."

"Ah, none of us have been in to check out that place. But I hear that if you keep away from the center and go up, you'll find a way out."

"That could help, except that I got a curse binding from one of the spider monsters who caught us dropping in," Marley said. "It's over my eyes so I can't see anything. And Elise isn't trained to fight, so we're stuck."

"Hmm, hold on a moment." The sounds of conversation were faint then as he must be discussing the matter with the others.

"Who is that?" Elise asked. "I saw something in that crystal, like a man in green. It seemed kind of like an old legend."

Marley nodded. "Link comes from the long lineage of heroes from Hyrule, and he's one of my fathers."

"Can that kind of thing really be true?" she asked, unsure of it. She always was of a more rational mind. "You always surprise me with that kind of thing. I thought a wandering swordsman was an unfeasible romantic icon, but then that's how you came here. And now your family is descended from legends?"

Hoping to keep her spirits up, he chuckled. "My whole family is like that, sprouting new legends wherever they go. I'm kind of the most mundane member of the bunch."

"You don't seem mundane to me. Most people I know would be frightened out of their wits in your situation."

"That won't help anything," he said, smiling. "I am worried, but I know my family can help us out."

The gossip stone quivered again. "We're coming in after you as soon as we can ride over there," Link said. "Stick together in a good spot to hide because we can use the gossip stone to find you. Don't try to remove the webbing yet; Julius says he can handle getting rid of it."

"It is painful if I try to take it off, so I haven't tried much," Marley said.

"Ah. And, Elise?"

"Yes?"

"We'll have to wait for better circumstances to introduce ourselves. For now, keep talking with Marley to keep him alert. He has a vulnerability to some curses, so we don't want to take chances of letting his guard down and the curse overtaking him."

"All right, I can do that."

"Hang tight, we'll be there as soon as we can." The gossip stone settled down.

"Could you hold onto this?" Marley asked, offering her the gossip stone. "I don't want to lose it."

She took it. "Sure. But is talking with you gong to be enough to stall a curse like that?"

He shrugged. "I think it's one of those standard precautions they take. There's a lot of ways a curse can be constructed. Some can be worsened if you panic, others get worse if you sleep through it. Besides, it should be easier for you to tell if something's going wrong with me if we're talking."

"I see. Well, then," she paused, thinking. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess. I thought my family was going to leave me alone when I left the castle."

He listened to her, but also past her voice. There wasn't much activity. Of course, there wouldn't be a lot he could do blinded. Maybe he could cast a spell if he could hear a target. But it was quiet, they should be okay for the time being. "It's fine. Though, I am surprised to hear that you're a princess. I thought you were just a genius young merchant."

Elise seemed a little cheered up by that. "Well I did have the best education available, although I don't think they hardly guessed what I would use it for. I'm the youngest of seven princesses, so they brought me up thinking that I'd be married off diplomatically. Maybe even to that prince of Hyrule, there was talk about making that offer."

"He's supposed to be a great guy," Marley said, although he hoped that still wasn't a possibility. "My parents have been writing the queen as friends for years, so I only know them through those letters."

"So I've heard, but I'm glad I ran into you instead," she said. "I'd already decided to strike out on my own because living in the court was horrible with Contessa and Lucinda bickering all the time. Apparently our parents spoiled my older siblings greatly, seeing nothing wrong with setting twins up as the next rulers. They're always trying to gain full authority from the other; most of the country gets run by the lords and ladies, so until now, most of our people weren't affected by it." She sighed. "And if they're calling me a rival now, I'm not sure if I'll see my other sisters again."

"We can figure out what happened," he said, trying to encourage her. "I got caught by surprise this time, but I'll do better in protecting you. We might get some help from my family, but we're not from around here. I'm not sure they'd want to get involved in a war like this."

"Even if they just hid us for a short while until we could find a place to establish ourselves," Elise said. "I guess we could leave too, but even if I left the court, I don't feel right about abandoned my country when they've gone this far."

"I don't want to abandon what's important to you."

"Thanks. So, what is your family like? I've heard you talk about them before, but the people of the court kept telling me you were part of some gypsy band I was best off staying away from."

"We're not gypsies, but we're pretty close, I guess," Marley said. "You know all the stories of wandering adventurers who can't settle down and are always looking for new places to explore? We're all like that, except I wasn't as great about it as the rest. When I met you at that fair, I decided I didn't mind giving that up to settle down close to you. They gave me their blessings for doing so. Although, we're lucky they decided to come back to see me when this all happened."

"I thought all those stories were about loners who happened to do heroic things on occasion. Though, it does seem nice to have a family like that."

"It was fun when I was a kid," he said. "Actually, I was the first child our parents adopted. I got to see Link and Gale's wedding, which was really exciting for me. I'd lost my original parents in a war and got sent to the same orphanage Link was living at. But he had a destiny to become a hero, so he left one spring to fulfill that. It was a crazy time to live through; there were dragons terrorizing the lands, a cursed storm that lasted a month, and armies of humans and monsters fighting each other. A lot of us kids were scared by it all and we didn't want to go outside. But then, we had faith that Link was the legendary hero and he'd stop it all."

"So you've lived through times like this before," Elise said, to which he nodded. "Our land has legends of heroes, but nothing certain like Hyrule has."

"If you have reoccurring legacies of heroes, you also have reoccurring legacies of powerful evils taking over everything," he pointed out. "That's not a good thing to be living under. Link realized that and he resolved to break the cycle completely." Thinking of something, he chuckled. "And you know what? He rescued the princess of Hyrule, but Gale was more important to him and a harder person to rescue. Gale had been a king and gave up his royalty in gratitude and love.

"When the two of them said they wanted to adopt me in particular, it was like a miracle to me to gain a family like that. They taught me all kinds of things for adventuring so I could come with them, like taking care of horses, magic, archery, swordsmanship, and even bartering to trade found treasures for things useful to us." Marley smiled with a little embarrassment. "Although, I was best at bartering, which turned out great because I could work with you in that way."

"You have helped me succeed far better than I could on my own," she said warmly. "Actually, your combat skill has been a great assent to keeping bandits from causing us too much trouble"

He nodded. That had been a major problem he discovered when he'd settled here. While he'd tried finding out where the bandit gang was based, he hadn't had any luck so far. "I wonder what they'll be up to with this conflict. They might get bolder and easier to find, but the queens are a bigger threat."

"We'll figure that out when we can," she said. "What about the other kids your parents adopted?"

It would be a long story to tell, but he was happy to recall it all. "Well, one of them wasn't adopted. We left Hyrule and in the first land we sailed to, we came across a village of fairies that had been destroyed. We helped the survivors repair their homes, then tracked down the monster responsible. Link and Gale destroyed it while I was left to defend the village. After that, we traveled around looking for those that had scattered in the chaos, to let them know that it was safe to return. The leader of the fairies decided to thank us by giving my parents a child of their own."

"That would be wonderful, if you could trust the fairies."

"They repay their debts well. Meia's the youngest of us, but she might be the most amazing. See, Gale is really talented with sorcery and Link is a natural swordsman and archer, and many other things, and she takes after them both. That makes Meia the mightiest little champion you'll ever meet. Well, she is kind of quiet, but she's a great kid.

"There was one time shortly before I left that a group of kids had disappeared from a town we were staying near. They'd dared each other to go into this well that everyone else thought was haunted. It had a ladder down into it leading to some cellar, but the entrance was blocked off leaving only a small hole. Meia was the only one of us who could crawl through there, so she went ahead without worry to get the other kids back. When the lost ones got back, they talked about how there were large monsters and traps down there. After they were all back, Meia unblocked the door so we could come help her with a later part." He smiled proudly thinking back over that. "And she acted disappointed when the other kids said how brave she was for rescuing them. She actually said, 'Only keese and skulltulas,' to them asking how she couldn't be afraid."

"Well skulltulas could be frightening, like these ones here," Elise said.

Marley shook his head. "Those were giant spiders, but they weren't skulltulas. They don't have the distinctive skull carapace. And given how they can curse people so fast, they're probably more dangerous. Maybe not with good hearing if they haven't found us yet."

"I'm not sure. These ones generally aren't a problem in towns, although there's very little wildlife around their den. Still, Meia's braver than most girls if skulltulas don't frighten her."

"Well neither is my other sister, Celia. But she's exceptional in many other ways. When we got back to traveling once Meia was old enough to walk around on her own, we joked occasionally about how she could use a big sister around since she had a brother and two fathers. Then we got to another place where we started hearing rumors about a girl who was raised by bears."

"Raised by bears?" she asked in disbelief. "You hear about a kid raised by wolves sometimes, but bears?"

"It wasn't entirely accurate, as rumors tend to be," Marley said. "Celia's parents had been changed into werebears, see? They were humans for a few hours when the sun was highest, but lived as bears for most of the day. They'd always lived in the wilderness so she was a bit wild herself, not having much contact with others. But then someone mistakenly killed her parents when they were bears. thinking they were a threat to his cattle. Celia then went and attacked him, ending up imprisoned for it; she was seven at the time."

"That's awful; they should have recognized that she was just a kid who'd lost her parents."

"You'd think so, but most of the town was against her and there was no way she was going to get a fair trial. So Gale stepped up in her defense, he researched their laws and brought a number of arguments before the judge to get her acquitted. Like how she was a child and she hadn't actually killed the rancher.

"But the strongest argument was that there was a law in that country that if a murderer, even by accident, was known but not charged, it was the right of the surviving family to take revenge for their fallen loved ones. Gale even mentioned before the public court that it was a barbaric law that encouraged a vicious cycle of revenge, which the country leaders were trying to keep quiet. For some reason or another, they weren't taking it off the books. Since the town knew about the transformed parents and didn't do anything about the rancher that killed them, it was legal for Celia to attack and even kill him."

"I recall talk about that country's law being repelled a few years back," Elise said. "Not about the specific case, but since it was there, it should have excused her."

Marley nodded. "Gale managed to win her case, although it was clear that no one in that town would accept her even with that. So when we got together with Celia for dinner afterward, Gale asked her if she'd like to join us and be an older sister to Meia. After she got over the shock of that, she was thrilled to join us. And she worked so hard to learn more civilized manner; she's still a person who thrives more in the wilderness than in towns, so I hope you don't mind that."

She giggled a bit. "You're the closest person to that that I know of, though I've dealt with some very coarse people with the shop."

"She's not like that," he said, smiling and hoping that she kept in good spirits while they waited. "And she learned a lot more from the fourth kid who joined us, Julius. It was a couple years later, in yet another land where we came across a hidden abbey that took in orphans and trained them in the holy arts of magic, including healing. But even though they had such a valuable gift, they were extremely secluded. Their followers rarely had contact with the outer world until they were entrenched enough in their religion to be named priests or priestesses. Anyone who wanted their services had to come to their hospital, no matter how far the sick person needed to travel."

"That doesn't sound right," Elise said.

"Right, there was a group within them that wanted to break out of that paranoia and send out traveling healers. Or even set up a secondary abbey and hospital in another place so their healing was more available. But their leader was convinced that they were better off with limited contact with the tainted world outside."

"Did your family help them out then?"

"Not quite," he said. "We'd come to them after a failed expedition left all but Meia injured; she'd been left with a caretaker since at that point, she was definitely too young to be going to that dangerous dungeon. We all had curses of various types, which normally Gale should be able to handle. But the curse that ended up on him blocked his ability to use magic. And since I'm particularly vulnerable to curses, we had to get help.

"I don't remember a lot of that first visit since I could hardly keep awake at the time. But Julius had been training at the hospital at the time, even though he was only a young teenager then. He was one of their most talented kids as well as one on the side of being more open. While we were discussing how to handle that dungeon again since it was a threat to the people in that area, Julius' mentor recommended that we take the two of them to use their holy magic to counter the evil magic there."

"That makes sense."

"Yeah, and we succeeded with their help. The abbot was furious about it and threatened to excommunicate them. But enough members of the abbey were convinced that they decided to replace him and open up their services. The mentor took over as the new abbot, and then Julius asked us if he could come with us so he could learn the more practical aspects of being a traveling healer. He was surprised that we'd accept him as a member of our family too, but Gale and Link are like that. If you're traveling with them, you're as good as family."

"They must be good people to be so accepting, though you're on your own now."

"But I'm still their first adopted son, plus between the gossip stone and letters, I hear from them a lot. Actually, both Julius and Celia are old enough to strike out on their own too. Meia's still a kid, and I suspect that once the other two move on, our parents might pick up other kids to join them. Even when times are tough, we found ways to be happy and help others be happy too. I hope I could bring up a family that strong as well."

* * *

Elise barely heard some footsteps while she and Marley were discussing plans for what to do about the two heartless queens. While it had a rhythm like a being who walked on two legs, they seemed too light for an adult human. "Someone's coming," she said.

Tilting his head, Marley listened. It was disturbing to look at his face where thick spider's webs covered his eyes. It made the conversation eerie for how calm he was keeping; at least it meant he wasn't in much pain. "Right. There should be two of them, one hanging back some."

The younger one came first; it was a preteen girl with dark skin and red hair in a short ponytail. She was oddly well-armed for a child, with a short sword at her side, a small shield on her right arm, and a quiver on her back. "Hello," she said, going over to hug Marley immediately.

"Hey Meia, good to hear you again," Marley said, hugging her back. "We'll be fine, let's get out of here."

"Good," the girl said. Meia looked over at her, not inclined to say anything more but she did smile.

The other had come up as they were talking. It had to be his other sister Celia, since she was a young woman who wielded a large axe over a sword like the others. "At least you seem to be in good spirits," she said cheerfully. "We got a ways to walk out of here; think you can climb a ladder still?"

"Sure, just get my hands on the rungs," Marley said.

On the way out, they had to be careful not to step on any webbing or alert the other monsters around. The huge spiders would come running to disturbances on their webs. There were a few spider carcasses around; Celia and Meia had to chop some of the webbing down earlier so they could bring them out safely. In spite of that, they hadn't taken any injuries.

Julius was outside of the Spider Queen's Den, looking after the family's horses and waiting on them to bring Marley back. He had some tents set up and brought Marley into one to work on undoing his curse. "You two had dinner yet?" Celia asked, getting a pot and some tins from a wagon they had. "We should finish up what we had going before we had to hurry off."

"Not really, it's been a tense day," Elise said. "Can I help?"

"Sure, got to add something else so there's enough to go around," she said. Meia had gotten out a bag of apples to offer. "Oh yeah, we could do some pan-fried apples, good idea."

"Right, that sounds good," Elise said, smiling at the quiet girl while they started slicing up the apples and preparing some spices.

"Actually, there's something else you could help us out with," Celia said, working on the other dish they had. "Well, just me and Meia. I supposed to be her big sis and all, but I ain't got a clue how to act womanly or what." She shrugged. "I mean, I don't mind about myself really cause I'll give a, a strong word to anybody who thinks I ought to act like someone other than myself. But it might be nice for Meia since she doesn't like arguments."

She might be more adaptable than she thought. Elise noticed her momentary pause; her rough words suggested she might not hesitate in cussing someone out either, but she was holding her tongue around her sister. Chuckling, Elise said, "I was drilled in a woman's graces when I was still a princess, so much so that I had to learn a thing or two about being brusque myself when I went into business."

"Oh, you were a princess?" Celia asked, curious.

She nodded. "I left my family because the in-fighting and politics was horrible, but," she glanced over at the glowing spot on the horizon where the capitol had been. "Well that's what led to this all. I'll have to take back up being a princess again to stop all this nonsense. But I won't be as soft as they wanted me to be, that just leads to trouble."

Near her, Meia reached over and patted her arm. She smiled again, but didn't seem too sure of what to say. Maybe she was shy even with Celia here as an example.

"Thanks, Meia, I've got Marley to back me up now," Elise said. "I'm sure we can do something about my sisters. But for now, sure, I'll help you two out. At least about the sensible parts." And given Meia's age, it might be sensible to go into other things. That is, if she got her fathers' permission to do so.

Gale and Link were late in coming back, though. The five of them went ahead and started eating once the meal was done. But they were just about all finished when the two of them finally appeared at the campfire. There was a glow off in the distance where the Spider Queen's Den was. "That took a while," the red haired man said, taking a moment to flick off some webbing from his long sleeves. Meia immediately ran over and hugged him. "Sorry for making you worry, we're fine."

"They had four demon gates at the bottom where the queen called on new followers," the other said, removing his green cap and running his hand through his blond hair. "We had to comb the area to make sure there weren't others."

"Hey, I thought you warned us to be careful using fire in there," Celia said, though she was smiling in relief that they were back. "Did ya really have to blaze the whole place like a kiln?"

The one who looked like Meia (who must have been Gale) grinned and said, "Yes, to make sure they didn't come back."

* * *

The problem with using fire to make sure this place was no longer a danger was that they had to make sure the fire didn't escape the den. Thankfully, a full moon made it easier to spot areas of the ground where smoke was escaping. Link stayed up the first few hours to make sure the fire didn't spread.

When he went back to the campsite to get some more water, the others were asleep. Elise had agreed to take a cot in Celia and Meia's tent. She and Marley were definitely close, but not to the point where she felt comfortable sharing a tent with him for a night. They had talked some before he'd gone to check on the fire; there was a lot on her mind, but one of the first things she brought up was that she was worried about how Marley felt overshadowed by the rest of them. She loved him a lot already and Link would be fine if they stuck together.

Although, it was troubling that Marley still felt that way. He and Gale had been worried about him when he announced that he wanted to settle down in this country to get to know a girl he'd just met. But Marley's confidence had been rocky at that point; it seemed best to give him some space and letting him live on his own was a good way for that. Perhaps helping Elise at this time could help more.

Gale had talked to her more tonight, mostly because he knew the responsibilities of royalty; he must have wanted to make sure she was taking that seriously before they agreed to help out. While they would discuss it in more detail later, Link did want to help out here. This was a country they didn't know a lot about, but Marley had chosen it for his homeland. Not only that, but the people who suffered the most in these times were the common people who had little do to with disputes of royalty and nobility. Yet they were the ones who lost loved ones, their security, and much more. Link wanted to make sure they were protected.

He was about to leave again when he noticed that someone else was up. Meia came over to him, looking tried and grouchy. "Having trouble getting to sleep?" Link asked, waiting on her.

She nodded. "There's… bad things happening. Elise is good, but something very bad is around."

At other times, it had made him proud to see traits of a hero in her. But he could recall the trials of other child heroes as well as his own. This wasn't one of the good things even if it spoke of native heroism more clearly than the rest. "I know, I feel it too," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, we'll go talk about it while we keep an eye on this fire."

On the way over, she suddenly said, "Um, if Elise is the princess here, does that mean Marley could be king here sometime, if things go well?"

"Maybe," he said, smiling at the thought. He winked down at her. "But let's not tell him that yet, okay? We can see how long it takes him to realize it."

"Okay," she said, cheered up briefly. But she got serious again quickly. "This is a war, isn't it? Lots of people died today, and will this whole time."

"That's right," he said. "We could end up involved in it as soon as tomorrow if we agree to help Elise and Marley."

"We have to cause they're family," Meia said, acting like that was inarguable. "Then we'd be in this war and lots of people could die. I don't want any of us to die." She then hugged him, trembling.

Stopping where they were, he put his arm around her. "Have you been dreaming like that too?"

When she nodded, Link's heart twisted up a bit more. He knew his family was capable of defending themselves; he'd helped train them like that. But they hadn't gotten involved in a serious war like this together. Meia had done a few small heroic acts, things that he and Gale were sure weren't too dangerous for her to handle herself. She was very capable, but this was a situation they couldn't be sure on what to expect. For one thing, this wasn't Hyrule. The power of legend had bound them, yes, but it also did small things to protect them to fulfill a legacy. There was none of that here; anything could happen.

But she'd want to help too. She might keep this fear hidden after tonight, but it'd still be there with both of them. She wasn't alone, though, and he felt resolved to make sure she didn't feel that way. "Did I ever get around to telling you about the Link who worked with the Picori?"

"No," she said, seeming puzzled why he'd ask that now. "What's a Picori?"

Link tugged her over to where they was a rock nearby; they could sit there. "They're tiny fairies who once lived in Hyrule; maybe they still do. But the thing is, they can only be seen by children." He ruffled her hair. "How about I promise to tell you a little bit of that story every night now? We'll have to make sure we can get back together to do so, whatever happens to us. But I'll do my best to make sure it happens."

She bit her lip at first, still with some tears in her eyes. Then she nodded. "Okay, I will too."

For that night, they didn't actually get far, just enough to explain about how Link and Zelda had been best friends for a long time and about the annual Picori festival. Meia was able to get to sleep mostly on that promise that this would happen every night for a while. Fortunately, they were in a place where he could see the den's entrance.

Gale showed up around an hour later. "Ah good, you do have her," he said quietly, coming over and trying not to disturb her.

"This isn't a simple civil war," Link told him as he sat nearby. "She could feel it too."

"I was a little suspicious of things Marley and Elise talked about," Gale said. "Seems the two queens were treated like the world's greatest thing without regards to their actual capabilities. Even so, setting fire to their own capitol is extreme."

He could tell a lot through his magic, but even though he'd lived with it for years, Gale didn't have the same sense for evil. "There's a powerful evil at work in this land. We have to keep our family safe."

"That serious, huh?" he said, losing that detached rationality.

"She was in tears because one or more of us could die in this," Link said, his throat tensing up. He'd been able to comfort her, but he knew just as well himself. "I felt a bit like this before that incident with the horses when we met, but I didn't have as much to lose then. I want to help protect these people; that's what a hero does. But even I'm afraid that we could lose one of our own."

"You two have got to be careful about how we handle this," Gale said, putting his arm around his shoulder.

Meia still seemed asleep in his lap. "All of us do."

"Certainly, but the rest of us don't have the soul of a hero like you both do," he said. "Don't deny it, you'd both throw yourselves heart and soul into making things safe even if this isn't our homeland. And I'm sure both of you are thinking that you'd do whatever you could to make sure the other was safe." Gale put his head against Link's. "It's going to be such a headache keeping you two out of serious trouble now."

As much as he didn't like the thought that Meia might step him in save him, he couldn't deny that she probably would. Especially since she was a child; she had only this life's experiences to tap into and wasn't able to judge the dangers ahead as accurately. "It is nice to have you to look after us. And I did make a promise with her, that we'd try to meet up every night for a story. I hope that keeps her from taking things too far."

"Good, then I have no regrets with getting involved." Gale chuckled. "That one queen taunted Marley for being a lonely drifter and a nobody. Let's make sure she knows just who she provoked by attacking him and his beloved."

"They are going to regret this," Link agreed. "Let's make sure that we don't."

 _A/N: And the adventures go on, but the story ends here. I'm happy this turned out like it did, especially since it started with a request that I would never have thought of. I hope to see you again in my next venture, whatever that may be._


End file.
